Delta passenger speaks out after plane crash at Pearson Airport

Passengers aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from the U.S. that crashed and flipped over at Toronto Pearson Airport on Family Day are speaking out, sharing harrowing details of one of the most jarring incidents in recent aviation history.

“When we hit, it was just super hard. The plane went sideways,” John Nelson said in an interview with The Leader Spirit. “I believe we skidded on our side and flipped over on our back. Where we ended up, there was a big fireball.”

One video circulating online shows several seconds of the evacuation effort underway as upside-down passengers unbuckled their seatbelts and were hurried off the burning aircraft. Nelson was one of the 76 passengers aboard Delta Air Lines flight 4819 from Minnesota to Toronto when the plane crash-landed on the runway at Pearson Airport.

“It was mass chaos. I was upside down,” Nelson further explained. “The lady next to me was upside down. We let ourselves go, and I hit the ceiling, which is a surreal feeling. And then everybody was just like, get out, get out, get out.”

Nelson is among many passengers who recorded the aftermath of the crash after making it to safety. The jarring moment showing the plane crash on the tarmac hard before catching fire and flipping was also captured.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but Nelson recalls documenting the wintery weather upon approach.

“I did notice that the winds were super gusty. The snow had kind of blown over the runways,” he said.

Investigation into plane crash at Pearson airport continues as black box recovered

Delays at Toronto Pearson Airport may continue on Wednesday as investigators work to determine what caused Monday’s fiery crash landing.

Investigators with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said they’ve recovered the plane’s black box and sent it off for analysis, but it’s too soon to say what led to the crash.

Airport authorities said the aircraft’s wreckage was expected to remain on the runway for about 48 hours until the investigators finish their work.

Delta Air Lines confirmed that 21 injured passengers were initially transported to local hospitals. As of Tuesday morning, 19 have been released. Some of the injuries included back sprains, head injuries, anxiety, headaches, nausea and vomiting due to fuel exposure, according to Peel Regional Paramedic Services.

Deborah Flint, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA), called the emergency response “textbook,” saying the quick action by fire, police, paramedics and flight staff likely saved lives. 

At this point, airport officials will not comment on wind, weather or runway conditions, though it is the focus of the ongoing investigation.

“This could not be a time for us to have theories or to speculate on what caused the crash,” Flint said.

With files from The Canadian Press