A Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis crash-landed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on February 17, 2025. Despite the chaos, all 80 passengers and crew survived, though several were hospitalized.
Dashcam footage captured the CRJ-900 twin-jet, operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air, erupting into a fireball before skidding on its belly and flipping upside down on the snowy runway. A passenger video showed the dramatic escape from the overturned aircraft onto the icy tarmac.
Of the 21 injured taken to local hospitals, 19 were released by Tuesday morning. Three, including a child taken to The Hospital for Sick Children, remained in critical but stable condition. Emergency teams swiftly triaged the injured, ensuring rapid medical care.
Passengers recounted the terror. Pete Carlson, an American health-care worker, described the moment the plane went “sideways” before flipping. Pete Koukov likened the upside-down experience to “hanging like bats” in the cabin. Both praised the quick response of emergency teams.
First responders evacuated all passengers, airlifting two severely injured victims to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital. Pearson Airport CEO Deborah Flint lauded their swift, life-saving actions.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, assisted by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, is investigating. High winds and drifting snow, with gusts up to 38 mph, may have contributed to the hard landing. Air traffic control audio recorded officials reporting the plane as “upside down and burning.”
Delta deployed its Care Team to support passengers and families. CEO Ed Bastian thanked first responders and pledged ongoing support for those affected.
The crash adds to a string of 2025 aviation incidents, including a midair collision near Washington, D.C., and a commuter plane crash in Alaska. Pearson Airport’s affected runway remains closed as investigations continue.
