Gusty winds and the condition of the runway may have played a role in how a Delta Air Lines jet flipped upside down while landing Monday at Toronto Pearson International Airport, injuring over a dozen of the people on board.
First responders worked through bitterly cold conditions to get all 80 of the people on the flight out on the plane safely.
Officials with Delta Air Lines said 21 passengers were transported to area hospitals after the incident, and, as of Tuesday morning, 19 have been released.
Most of the injuries were minor and the two passengers that remain hospitalized are not suffering from life-threatening injuries, officials said. Injuries ranged from head and back sprains to anxiety issues to nausea caused by exposure to jet fuel, officials said during a news conference on Tuesday.
The flight from Minneapolis attempted to land around 2:15 p.m. but it's not yet clear what went wrong as the plane approached the runway.
RELATED STORY | NTSB discusses the moments before a fatal air crash near Reagan National Airport
According to The Associated Press, audio recordings show that the air traffic control tower warned the pilots of a possible air flow “bump” on the approach.
At the time of the crash, Pearson airport had 32 mph winds gusting to 40 mph, according to the Meteorological Service of Canada, and the temperature was about 16.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Deborah Flint, CEO of Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said they got more snow at the airport over the days leading up to the crash than they did all of last winter.
A pilot unrelated to the crash explained to Scripps News Correspondent Alex Miller — who happened to be at the airport at the time of the crash — that the runway conditions during that time were "code 555" meaning it was wet or had light snow or slush.
At the airport in Toronto (YYZ)— and all flights are now suspended. pic.twitter.com/N7FYV4tBzp
— Alex Miller (@AlexMillerNews) February 17, 2025
Toronto Pearson Fire Chief Todd Aitken said during a news conference on Monday that there were no cross-wind conditions at the time of the incident and that people should refrain from speculating.
Investigators from the U.S. with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will be at the scene conducting their own investigation alongside Canadian officials.
RELATED STORY | Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash
This latest crash is the fourth major aviation incident in North America over the past three weeks.
On Jan. 29, an American Airlines regional jet collided in the air with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport in Washington, killing all 67 people involved. Just two days later, a medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia killing the six people on board and another person who was on the ground at the time. Ten people were killed on Feb. 6 when a plane crashed in Alaska.
