Delta Airlines has issued a statement following reports that nine people have been injured in a devastating runway incident.
The flight – which departed from Minneapolis – flipped over while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday (February 17), leaving nine people injured, according to reports.
Horrifying.
Plane from Minneapolis to Toronto upside down on the runway.
The word from the airport is, “All passengers and crew are accounted for.”
Praying that means they are okay.— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) February 17, 2025
In a statement to VT, Delta Airlines spokesperson Morgan Durrant issued the following statement: “Delta Connection flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air using a CRJ900 aircraft, was involved in a single-aircraft accident at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) around 2:15pm ET* on Monday. The flight originated from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
“Initial reports were that there are no fatalities. Several customers with injuries were transported to area hospitals. Our primary focus is taking care of those impacted.
“The flight was carrying a total of 80 people – 76 passengers and four crew.
“YYZ was closed shortly after the incident occurred. Delta is working to connect with customers traveling from, to or through YYZ who should also monitor the status of their flight via the Fly Delta app.
“Endeavor Air is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines headquartered in Minneapolis.
“Delta will provide updates at news.delta.com.”
*Editor’s note: Delta Airlines later updated the time of the incident from a previous statement.
Following the incident, horrifying images and videos from the runway have since started being circulated on social media platforms.
Dramatic images from the scene showed the Endeavor Flight 4819 aircraft upside down on an icy runway, prompting a swift emergency response.
Toronto Pearson confirmed the incident in a post on X, stating: “Emergency teams are responding. All passengers and crew are accounted for.”
Injuries Reported, One in Critical Condition
Emergency crews reported that nine people sustained injuries in the crash, with one person in critical condition, per Sky News (as of this writing).
Paramedics confirmed to CP24 that the remaining seven individuals suffered mild to moderate injuries.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
Investigation Underway
Authorities are still piecing together the events leading up to the crash.
“There is a plane crash. However, we don’t know the circumstances surrounding it at this point,” said Constable Sarah Patten of the Peel Regional Police in Ontario, per The Telegraph.
Praying for everyone affected by the plane crash in Toronto. Absolutely horrifying. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/wg3IJiQXJc
— Link Lauren (@itslinklauren) February 17, 2025
Patten added: “It is my understanding that most of the passengers are out and unharmed but we’re still trying to make sure, so we’re still on scene investigating.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that all 80 people aboard the Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, were accounted for and evacuated.
The FAA provided further details in a statement, saying: “Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada around 2:45 p.m. local time on Monday, February 17.”
They also noted that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada will take charge of the investigation and provide any updates.
Tweets Shared Hours Before Crash
Following the crash, there is mounting conversation over whether or not harsh weather conditions resulted in the incident.
On Sunday (February 16), officials from Toronto Pearson tweeted: “The snow is still falling at the airport.
“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.”
Delays Mount at Toronto Pearson
In the wake of the crash, over four dozen flights have been delayed at Toronto Pearson, according to the airport’s website.
The FAA also implemented a temporary ground stop at the airport while authorities worked to assess the situation.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board, the independent agency responsible for investigating plane crashes, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Of course, this incident comes within weeks of the multiple plane tragedies to occur in the US — with 67 people losing their lives in Washington D.C., 10 people losing their lives in Alaska, and another seven people tragically killed in Philadelphia.