A Delta flight with 80 people onboard made a crash landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, injuring at least 17 people. NBC Chicago’s Chuck Goudie reports.
Multiple people were injured in a crash involving a Delta Air Lines plane, with footage showing the plane upside down on a runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport Monday afternoon.
The flight originated from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota, according to officials. Delta said in a statement it was working confirm details on what exactly happened.
Here's what we know so far:
What happened?
In a post on X at 1:57 p.m. on Monday, the airport said it was aware of an "incident" involving a Delta Air Lines plane from Minneapolis upon landing.
All passengers and crew were accounted for, according to the post.
Toronto Pearson is aware of an incident upon landing involving a Delta Airlines plane arriving from Minneapolis. Emergency teams are responding. All passengers and crew are accounted for.
— Toronto Pearson (@TorontoPearson) February 17, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration said Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, which was operated by Endeavor Air, crashed while landing at the airport at around 2:45 p.m. There were 80 people onboard at the time.
Departures to Toronto Pearson International Airport were grounded due to the "aircraft emergency," according to the FAA. The airport said both departures and arrivals resumed as of 5 p.m. local time.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
What caused the incident?
The cause of the incident remains unclear. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will be in charge of the investigation, according to the FAA.
While it wasn't immediately clear if weather played a role, the incident occurred amid continued snowfall in the region and follows back-to-back winter storms.
An audio recording from the tower at Toronto Pearson International Airport shows the flight was cleared to land at about 2:10 p.m. local time. The tower warns the pilots of a possible air flow bump in the glide path as the plane comes into land because of a preceding aircraft in front of it.
"It’s very rare to see something like this,” said John Cox, CEO of aviation safety consulting firm Safety Operating Systems in St. Petersburg, Florida. “We’ve seen a couple of cases of takeoffs where airplanes have ended up inverted, but it’s pretty rare.”
Cox, who flew for U.S. Air for 25 years and has worked on NTSB investigations, said the CRJ900 aircraft is a proven aircraft that’s been in service for decades and does a good job of handling inclement weather.
“The weather conditions were windy. The wind was out of the west at 27 to 35 knots, which is about 38 miles an hour. So it was windy. But the airplanes are designed and certified to handle that. The pilots are trained and experienced to handle that."
How many people were injured?
At least 18 people were injured, local authorities said.
At a news briefing on Monday evening, Toronto Pearson CEO Deborah Flint said that of those hurt, none were in critical condition.
Earlier in the day, Lawrence Saindon, a superintendent for Peel Regional Paramedic Services, said 12 people were injured and transported to hospitals with minor injuries. A man in his 60s and a woman in her 40s were airlifted to local trauma centers in critical condition, and one child was taken by ground ambulance to a children's hospital with critical injuries, according to Toronto Air Ambulance.
Delta and Endeavor Air statements
Delta
"Delta Connection flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air using a CRJ-900 aircraft, was involved in a single-aircraft accident at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) at around 2:15 p.m. ET* on Monday. The flight originated from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
Initial reports indicate there are no fatalities and 18 customers with injuries have been transported to area hospitals.
Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted.
Delta has activated its Passenger Inquiry Center for family and loved ones of customers involved in today’s accident so they can connect with Delta for more information. In Canada, these individuals may reach out via 1-866-629-4775. In the United States, they may connect using 1-800-997-5454.
“The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on site. We are working to confirm the details and will share the most current information on news.delta.com as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, please take care and stay safe.”
The flight was carrying a total of 80 people – 76 passengers and four crew.
Delta has cancelled its flights to and from YYZ for the remainder of the evening and has issued a travel waiver. Details of the waiver can be found on Delta.com. Delta is working to connect with customers whose flights have been impacted. Customers should also monitor the status of their flight via the Fly Delta app.
Endeavor Air is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines headquartered in Minneapolis.
Delta will provide updates at news.delta.com."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he was "in touch with Delta after a flight taking off from MSP crash landed in Toronto this afternoon."
"Grateful to the first responders and professionals on the scene," he wrote on X.
I’m in touch with Delta after a flight taking off from MSP crash landed in Toronto this afternoon.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) February 17, 2025
Grateful to the first responders and professionals on the scene.
Endeavor Air
"Delta Connection flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air using a CRJ900 aircraft, was involved in a single-aircraft accident at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) around 3:30p ET on Monday. The flight originated from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)," Endeavor Air said in a statement. "Initial reports were that there are no fatalities. Several customers with injuries were transported to area hospitals. Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted. The flight was carrying a total of 80 people – 76 passengers and four crew. YYZ was closed shortly after the incident occurred. Delta is working to connect with customers traveling from, to or through YYZ who should also monitor the status of their flight via the Fly Delta app. Endeavor Air is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines headquartered in Minneapolis."
Latest aviation incidents
The incident follows a string of aviation disasters and close calls that have prompted worries about flying.
An American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter crashed near Washington, D.C., on Jan. 29, marking the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since Nov. 12, 2001. Two days later, a medical transportation plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Philadelphia, killing a child patient, her mother and four other individuals who were onboard. A person in a vehicle on the ground was also killed.
Shortly after, a commuter flight that crashed on Alaska sea ice, killing all 10 aboard.
On Monday, reports indicated the Trump administration had begun firing several hundred Federal Aviation Administration employees, upending staff on a busy air travel weekend.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a brief statement Monday it was "analyzing the effect of the reported federal employee terminations on aviation safety, the national airspace system and our members.”
The firings hit the FAA when it faces a shortfall in controllers. Federal officials have been raising concerns about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
