Toronto, February 18, 2025: In a miraculous escape, all 80 people aboard a Delta Air Lines flight survived after the aircraft skidded off the runway and flipped upside down while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The CRJ900 aircraft, which had departed from Minneapolis, caught fire upon impact but was swiftly attended to by emergency responders. Eighteen people sustained injuries, though most were minor.
Survivors described harrowing moments as they found themselves suspended upside down in their seats. Many had to release their seatbelts and drop onto the cabin ceiling before escaping onto the snow-covered tarmac.
Deborah Flint, CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, praised emergency crews, calling their response “textbook”, which ensured no loss of life.
“Their swift actions prevented a tragedy,” Flint stated during an evening briefing.
Of the 76 passengers and four crew members, 22 were Canadian nationals, while the rest were from multiple countries.
Initial reports suggested strong winds may have contributed to the crash, but Toronto Pearson Fire Chief Todd Aitken later contradicted this, stating “the runway was dry and there were no crosswind conditions.”
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has launched an investigation and expects two runways to remain closed for several days, causing flight delays and cancellations.
Videos shared on social media showed fire crews dousing the overturned aircraft with foam, while passengers clambered out of the wreckage.
Ontario’s air ambulance service, Ornge, reported that among the injured, a child, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s suffered the most serious injuries.
The crash is the fourth major aviation incident in North America in the past month. The most serious involved a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., between a passenger jet and a military helicopter, resulting in 67 fatalities.
Toronto Pearson Airport had been experiencing weather-related disruptions in recent days, with heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures affecting flights. Earlier on Monday, the airport had warned of “frigid temperatures and high winds moving in.”
Despite the terrifying crash landing, all 80 passengers and crew walking away alive is being hailed as nothing short of a miracle
