Delta Plane Crash Survivor Describes Moments Before, During, and After the Accident

The plane crashed during touchdown at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Monday, February 17, with the passenger narrating how everyone on board helped each other.

A passenger, Pete Carlson, who was on board the Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis to Toronto, has shared his experience before, during, and after the accident, which left several people injured.

Carlson noted that earlier during the flight, there had been a comment about "strong winds." "As we made our descent and made touchdown it was a very forceful event, where all of sudden everything just went sideways," he added.

The next thing he saw after these unexpected events was that he was upside down but still strapped in. He immediately tried to figure out what happened and took his seatbelt off. This move had him crashing onto the ceiling, which was now serving as the floor because the plane had turned upside down.

"One minute you're landing, kind of waiting to see your friends and your people, and the next minute you're physically upside down and just really turned around," said Carlson of this scary moment.

After he took off his belt, Carlson looked around and noted how everyone became close, trying to figure out how they could help or console one another. Everyone wanted to know what to do next to get out of the situation.

Carlson later noticed a cut on his head but was unsure when he sustained it. He suspected it happened during the landing. However, drawing from his paramedic background, he focused on helping a woman and a child to safety. The woman was trapped beneath the seats while the child had ended up on the plane's ceiling.

Carlson relied on his instincts as a father, passenger, and paramedic to assist those around him, noting that everyone seemed calm and focused on ensuring they could help each other. "My attention was about 30 percent towards who is moving us out and how can I help promote flow in that direction," he noted.

Carlson also had to be focused on his surroundings. He could smell gas and see liquid pouring over the small windows. The smell was from the flowing aviation gasoline, a fuel used in small, piston-engine aircraft.

After managing to climb out of the plane and onto the tarmac, Carlson helped the mom, boy, and another man to get off it, too. It was cold and snowy outside, but the passengers didn't pay note to this as they wanted to get away from the crashed plane.

After the passengers had moved to a safe distance and checked on each other, Carlson took this moment to evaluate the plane from afar and noted that its wings had fallen out. As the fire department worked on the scene, he heard a small explosion but couldn't figure out what caused it as they were far from the crash scene.

Aside from helping passengers, Carlson prioritized communication with his wife, kids, friends, and colleagues. Carlson was heading towards a paramedics conference but took a picture of the scene and sent it to his colleagues, who had asked if he was doing okay when they learned of the crash.

Looking back, Carlson said he was grateful that he was "down on the tarmac and alive," adding, "which is again really amazing." Soon, the paramedics arrived and began assessing people's injury severity and treating them.

However, Carlson noted that the most important thing the paramedics did was listen to the passengers and ask questions. He reiterated that he saw no division but just people coming together and helping each other.

More details about this plane crash have been shared online, including videos capturing the chaotic scene.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, took off from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. It crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport around 2:45 p.m. local time on Monday. The aircraft, carrying 80 people, overturned upon impact.

Footage from the scene captured the chaos. Passengers climbed through emergency exits as others helped them to safety. Inside, seats were displaced, and a flight attendant guided people through the wreckage.

The plane's fuselage was torn open, with debris scattered across the snow-covered ground. Smoke was seen bursting from the aircraft as people rushed to escape.

The FAA said emergency crews responded quickly, evacuating all passengers and crew members. In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, Delta confirmed the crash and reported that 18 passengers sustained injuries and were transported to local hospitals. No fatalities have been reported.

The airline stated that its primary focus is assisting those affected and has activated a Passenger Inquiry Center for families seeking information. It provided contact numbers for inquiries in Canada and the United States.

"In Canada, these individuals may reach out via 1-866-629-4775. In the United States, they may connect using 1-800-997-5454," the statement read.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed concern for those involved, "The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today's incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport." He also thanked first responders and Delta staff assisting at the scene.

The flight was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members. Following the crash, Delta canceled all flights to and from Toronto Pearson for the remainder of the evening and issued a travel waiver for impacted passengers. The airline urged customers to check their flight status through the Fly Delta app.

Endeavor Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines based in Minneapolis, operated the aircraft. Delta has pledged to provide further updates as the investigation unfolds.

Newly released air traffic control audio, shared by CP24, captured the moments after the crash. In the recording, a controller asked, "Where's the crash?" The response confirmed it came down on Runway 23R near Runway 15L.

A recording from a nearby medevac helicopter captured its crew communicating with air traffic control after the Delta Air Lines crash. A pilot reported seeing people around the aircraft. The audio also confirmed the plane was "upside down and burning."

As investigators determine the cause, aviation expert John Cox emphasized how rare such incidents are. "It's very rare to see something like this," said Cox, CEO of aviation safety consulting firm Safety Operating Systems. He noted that while there have been a few cases of airplanes overturning during takeoff, such events remain uncommon.

Cox, a former U.S. Air pilot with 25 years of experience and a background in National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations, emphasized the CRJ-900's reliability. He noted that the aircraft has been in service for decades and is built to handle challenging weather conditions.

While acknowledging the windy conditions at the time, the veteran pilot explained that the aircraft was "designed and certified" to operate safely in such environments. He added, "The pilots are trained and experienced to handle that."

Meanwhile, the FAA stated that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation and will provide updates. The U.S. NTSB will reportedly send a team to assist in the Canadian investigation.

According to AP, the last major crash at Toronto Pearson International Airport was on August 2, 2005, when an Air France Airbus A340 from Paris skidded off the runway in stormy weather and caught fire. All 309 passengers and crew survived.