Latest news Plane upside down: Crash in Canada probably goes off lightly
According to initial findings, the crash landing of a passenger plane in the Canadian metropolis of Toronto had a minor outcome.
18.02.2025, 00:02
SDA
After the crash, in which the plane from the USA with 80 people on board came to rest upside down on the runway, the international airport of the Canadian metropolis of Toronto initially gave the all-clear.
"Toronto Pearson is aware of an incident involving a Delta Airlines aircraft landing from Minneapolis," Toronto Pearson Airport announced on the X platform. "Rescue teams are in operation. All passengers and crew are safe and well," it continued. However, some Canadian media reported at least several casualties.
"Our plane has crashed"
Initially unconfirmed footage showed a Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft that had apparently crashed on landing. The jet, which is usually used for regional flights and has several dozen seats, was lying upside down on the tarmac in these images. Smoke was rising from the wreckage. In front of the plane, possible passengers appear to be moving away from the aircraft. The TV station CNN also had live footage of a plane lying on its back.
An apparent amateur video showed people stepping out of an open aircraft door into the open. A voice in the video said, "We're in Toronto, we've just landed, our plane has crashed, it's upside down, the fire department is on the scene."
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Delta Flight 4819 crashed at around 2.45pm local time. "All 80 people on board were evacuated," it said. The Canadian authorities were investigating the accident.
Gusts of wind and sub-zero temperatures
What exactly happened remained unclear at first. According to weather reports, there was a strong wind with gusts of more than 50 kilometers per hour at the time of the suspected accident. It was also very cold at around eight degrees below zero. At this time of year, however, the airports in Minneapolis (Minnesota) in the Midwest of the USA and Toronto, which is around 1.5 hours away by plane, are prepared for extreme cold and adverse conditions.
The regional police confirmed to Deutsche Presse-Agentur that they were supporting the local aviation authorities in the operation, but did not give any details.
Just a few weeks ago, a collision between a passenger plane and a helicopter in Washington led to a serious accident with more than 60 fatalities.
