It sometimes seems as if bad things happen in groups, but when it comes to something as serious as a plane crash, we would hope it was a one-time event. Unfortunately, another crash has been reported in Toronto.
It happened during a landing at the Toronto Pearson International Airport when a Delta flight crashed on approach. There were 18 passengers injured and they have been taken to hospitals, but perhaps most alarming was the fact that the airplane was upside down.
Thankfully, the local paramedic services have reported that none of the injuries sustained by the 18 individuals are life-threatening. There were three critical injuries, including a man in his 60s, a woman in her 40s, and a child.
The child was taken to the Hospital for Sick Children and is currently in good condition. The other passengers included those with minor injuries according to the paramedic services that transport them to local hospitals.
Deborah Flint, the president and CEO of Toronto Pearson was pleased with how the emergency response took place. In a statement, she said: “There was no loss of life, and this is in due part to our heroic and trained professionals, our first responders at the airport.”
The four crew members and 76 passengers who were on board flight 4819 were evacuated after the single aircraft accident. There were 22 Canadians on board the flight, which originated in Memphis.
Delta said: “Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted”
According to Todd Aiken, the Toronto airport fire chief, the runway was dry and no crosswind conditions existed at the time of the crash. They do not yet know what caused the plane to flip upside down and catch on fire but they are investigating the incident.
The lead of the investigation will take place by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. There will also be investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA who will be assisting.
After the crash took place at around 2:15 PM, the Toronto airport was temporarily closed and flights were suspended. They resumed as of 5 PM, although two runways remain closed and the airport is being impacted.
According to some reports, winds had reached 40 mph on the ground with stronger gusts several hundred feet in the air during a blowing snow and strong wind storm in the region.
The CEO of Delta, Ed Bastian said the following: “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.”
Olivia Chow, the mayor of Toronto posted the following one social media: “I’m relieved to learn that all passengers and crew are accounted for after today’s plane crash at Toronto Pearson. Thank you to the first responders, crew and airport staff for their quick actions and commitment to keeping everyone safe.”
