Newly released air traffic control audio has revealed the chilling moment a Delta Air Lines plane flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The tragedy has resulted in 18 people being left injured, including a child.
Flight DL4819, a Bombardier CRJ-900LR, was arriving from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport on Monday, February 17, when it crash-landed just after 2:13PM in windy, post-snowstorm conditions.
There were 76 passengers and four crew members on board.
As emergency responders rushed to the scene, air traffic controllers were left in shock, as newly obtained air traffic control audio reveals.
‘This Airplane Has Just Crashed’
In the newly surfaced air traffic control recordings, the severity of the situation became clear in real time.
“This airplane has just crashed,” one official is heard saying as the Delta jet comes down hard on the runway.
Meanwhile, during a separate exchange between air traffic controllers and a Medevac helicopter, first responders flying above the airport described the scene below.
“Just so you’re aware, there’s people also walking around the aircraft there,” one person says.
“Yeah, we’ve got it,” another voice responds.
Then came the grim realization: “The aircraft is upside down and burning.”
Passenger Accounts: ‘We Hit the Ground, and We Were Sideways’
In the aftermath of the crash, passengers onboard the flight have started sharing their experiences on social media and in interviews.
Snapchat user Ashley Zook recorded herself still strapped into her seat inside the overturned aircraft.
“I was just in a plane crash. Oh my god,” she says in the clip, her voice filled with shock.
Fellow passenger Pete Koukov, who had his camera gear on hand after filming ski content, documented his own escape from the flipped plane.
“Being alive feels pretty cool today,” he captioned his footage, which showed him climbing onto the tarmac with the help of a female crew member.
“Holy f**k,” he says while looking back at the wreck. “Oh my fing God. Yo, I was just on this f**ing plane.”
Passenger John Nelson, who was on Flight DL4819, posted a video of the aftermath on Facebook, capturing fire crews dousing the wreckage with water. He later recounted the terrifying moment to CNN.
“We hit the ground, and we were sideways, and then we were upside down,” Nelson said.
“I was able to just unbuckle and sort of fall and push myself to the ground. And then some people were kind of hanging and needed some help being helped down, and others were able to get down on their own,” he added.
“When we got finished, I was upside down, everybody else was there as well,” Nelson said. “We tried to get out of there as quickly as possible.” He added that once he was out of the plane, there was another explosion but “luckily the firefighters got out of there.”
Another passenger, Peter Carlson, described the harrowing moments inside the upside-down jet.
“It was cement and metal,” he told CBC. “The absolute initial feeling is just need to get out of this.”
Carlson recalled how passengers immediately came together in the chaos.
“What I saw was everyone on that plane suddenly became very close, in terms of how to help one another, how to console one another,” he said. “That was powerful, but there was definite: ‘What now? Who is leading? How do we find ourselves away from this?’”
18 Injured, Including Child in Critical Condition
A total of 18 people were taken to hospitals, including a child in critical condition who was transported to Toronto’s SickKids Hospital.
Two other critically injured passengers — a man and a woman in their 60s — were rushed to local hospitals, while the remaining victims sustained minor injuries.
Despite the severity of the crash, authorities confirmed that all 80 people on board had survived.
Debris, Fire, and a Mysterious Wing Separation
Video footage captured after the crash showed at least one of the plane’s wings detached from the fuselage. The jet lay belly-up on the tarmac, surrounded by emergency crews as fire engines sprayed water on the wreckage.
Authorities are now investigating why the right wing separated from the aircraft during the incident.
Toronto Pearson Fire Chief Todd Aitken initially claimed that the runway was dry and there were no crosswind conditions — a statement that many pilots have since disputed to media outlets.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft had encountered gusting crosswinds and blowing snow during landing, leading some experts to suggest that weather could have played a role in the crash.
U.S. aviation expert John Cox noted that weather data at the time of landing showed an average crosswind of 19 knots (22 mph), but fluctuating gusts could have made it difficult for pilots to stabilize the aircraft.
“It’s gusty, so they are constantly going to have to be making adjustments in the air speed, adjustments in the vertical profile, and adjustments in the lateral profile,” Cox said. “It’s normal for what professional pilots do.”
Additionally, airport officials tweeted hours prior to the crash about heavy snowfall.
“The snow is still falling at the airport,” the tweet began. “Since it started yesterday, we’ve already had 12.2 cm of snow accumulate as of 8 a.m. The latest forecast shows we could see an additional 15 cm today.
“In total, we’ve had 53.6 cm of snow this past week. To put that into perspective, that’s more than the 47.6 cm we got in January, December, and November, combined!
“Our teams are working hard to clear the runways by plowing, sweeping, and blowing the snow away.”
A second tweet, shared hours before the crash on Monday, read: “Here’s a look at part of our airfield this morning as the clean up continues from this weekend’s storm.
“Our crews worked all weekend to keep the roughly 5 million square metres of airfield clear of snow to keep planes arriving and departing safely.”
Airport Disruptions & Ongoing Investigation
As authorities piece together what led to the crash, two runways at Toronto Pearson remain closed, causing delays.
Deborah Flint, CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said at a press conference: “We are very grateful there was no loss of life, and relatively minor injuries.”
She credited first responders for their quick action, stating: “This is in due part to our heroic and trained professionals.”
Canadian Transportation Minister Anita Anand also acknowledged the severity of the crash, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “I’m closely following the serious incident at Pearson Airport involving Delta Airlines flight 4819 from Minneapolis.”
A Rare, But Not Unprecedented Crash
Though rare, incidents involving planes flipping on landing have happened before—primarily with McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft.
- 2009: A FedEx freighter flipped on landing in Tokyo, killing both pilots.
- 1999: A China Airlines flight overturned in Hong Kong, killing three people.
- 1997: Another FedEx freighter flipped at Newark, though no fatalities occurred.
Despite the dramatic nature of Monday’s crash, aviation experts emphasized that the survival of all passengers and crew is a testament to modern engineering and safety protocols.
Flights Resume, But Delays Expected
While operations at Toronto Pearson International Airport have resumed, officials warn that disruptions will continue as investigations unfold.
“The investigation is ongoing, and we expect some operational impacts and delays,” Flint confirmed.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have both launched probes into the cause of the crash, with an initial report expected within 30 days.
A comment from Delta CEO Ed Bastian reads: “The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport.
“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.”
