Delta plane flips upside-down after Toronto crash

18 passengers injured, with some in critical condition, after a Delta flight overturned this evening. Good evening, I’m Steve Eagar.
Hi, everyone, I’m Heather Hays.
The flight was traveling from Minneapolis to Toronto with 80 people onboard. Fortunately, initial reports indicate there were no fatalities. Fox Four’s Sean Rab has been following the breaking news and joins us now. Sean?

and that’s the good news today. Again, 18 people were taken to local hospitals, and there’s concern for those injured. This is the fourth aviation accident in the past month, but remarkably, people were able to walk away from the crash. Let’s take a live look at Pearson Airport in Toronto. You can see emergency vehicles and the plane, which is upside down on the runway with emergency crews surrounding it. Fortunately, there weren’t many flames, which is a relief.

The aircraft involved is a CRJ 900, operated by Endeavor Air for Delta Airlines. It’s the largest of the regional jet models. One of the plane’s wings was sheared off, and the area had snow and ice on the ground with temperatures around 18 degrees. Visibility was good during the landing, but there were strong winds when the plane made its hard landing.

We spoke with pilot and aviation attorney Ron McCallum, who shared his perspective as a fellow aviator. He said, “When the pilot tells you to fasten your seatbelt, they really mean it. If people had been unbuckled when the plane flipped, there would have been far more injuries that could have been avoided.”

Clearly, everyone, including the crew, did their part in ensuring the outcome wasn’t worse. The passengers who were seen walking away will no doubt have quite a story to tell once they’re able to speak with authorities.

The wind was gusting at 35 knots, about 40 miles per hour, as the plane made its final approach, and that will be a key point of focus for investigators, along with the aircraft and the pilots.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will be leading the investigation.