ISLAMABAD: A Delta Air Lines regional jet flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday, amid windy weather conditions following a snowstorm, injuring 18 of the 80 people on board, officials reported. The flight, which originated from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, saw three people suffer critical injuries, including a child, according to authorities.
The CRJ900 aircraft, operated by Delta’s Endeavor Air subsidiary, was involved in the single-aircraft accident. The plane had 76 passengers and four crew members on board. Manufactured by Bombardier, the 16-year-old CRJ900 can seat up to 90 people and is powered by GE Aerospace engines.
Earlier on Monday, Toronto Pearson Airport had been grappling with high winds and freezing temperatures as airlines worked to recover from delays caused by a snowstorm that had dropped over 22 cm (8.6 inches) of snow at the airport.
A video posted by News Channel3 Now showed the Delta plane flipped over on the snow-covered tarmac, with passengers walking away from the wreckage. Peel Regional Paramedic Services Supervisor Lawrence Saindon stated that out of the eight injuries, one was critical, while the others were mild to moderate.
In response to the incident, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration grounded all departures, while Pearson Airport confirmed that the Delta flight had arrived from Minneapolis.
Delta acknowledged the incident involving its Endeavor subsidiary and said it was aware of the situation. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the agency responsible for investigating plane crashes, has not yet commented, but Transport Canada said it is monitoring the situation.
This crash follows a series of recent aviation incidents in North America, including a January collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet in Washington, which killed 67 people, and a medical transport plane crash in Philadelphia that resulted in at least seven fatalities.
