A Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis experienced a dramatic crash landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Thursday, flipping over upon touchdown. Fortunately, all 80 individuals on board, including 76 passengers and four crew members, survived the incident, although 18 people sustained injuries, with three reported to be seriously hurt.
John Nelson, a passenger on the flight, recounted the terrifying moment, stating, "Our plane crashed. It’s upside down." Eyewitness accounts described a chaotic scene as the aircraft skidded on its side before flipping over completely. Nelson noted that there was no sign of trouble before landing, but once on the ground, the situation escalated quickly, resulting in a "big fireball" visible from the left side of the plane.
Passengers found themselves hanging upside down in their seats following the crash. Nelson described the struggle to unbuckle himself and push down to the ground, while others required assistance to escape from their precarious positions. Fellow passenger Peter Koukov echoed this sentiment, saying, "We were upside down hanging like bats."
Video footage shared on social media captured the frantic efforts of passengers exiting the overturned aircraft, with emergency crews spraying foam on the wreckage. Airport staff assisted those escaping, some of whom were seen running away from the plane’s entrance.
Despite the gravity of the situation, many passengers reported feeling relatively unharmed. Nelson stated, "Most people appear to be okay. We’re all getting off." Local paramedics confirmed that while some injuries were serious, there were no critical cases among the survivors.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and two runways at the airport will be closed for several days as authorities conduct their inquiries. Passengers have been advised to expect delays as a result of the incident.
Diane Perry, who was at the airport when the crash occurred, expressed her surprise upon learning of the event through family calls while waiting to check her luggage. "It was kind of ironic that we were in the airport and didn’t know that there was a crash outside," she remarked.
As passengers and crew begin to process the harrowing experience, many are left reflecting on their narrow escape. Nelson, still shaken, remarked, "It’s amazing that we’re still here."