Delta Plane Crash Witness John Nelson Speaks Out, Describes What Happened at the Scene – Video

In addition to speaking out about what happened concerning the Delta Plane crash, the witness shared a short video on Facebook of the aircraft after it had crashed.

A witness named John Nelson recently spoke to CNN about what he saw while he was onboard the Delta flight that crashed at Canada's Toronto Pearson International Airport. The plane had been traveling from Minneapolis to Toronto.

Nelson started by noting how, initially, things appeared typical. "We were coming in and I did notice that like, the winds were super gusty, the snow had kind of blown over the runways and so coming in, it just uhm, it was routine but like, it was noticeable that the runways were kind of in a weird condition," Nelson then explained.

The witness recounted how when the plane hit the ground hard it "went sideways," adding, "I believe we skidded on our side and then flipped over on our back. Where we ended up, there was like a big fireball on the left side of the plane."

Nelson, who was visibly stirred while giving the interview, noted how when the plane stopped moving, he and all the other passengers were upside down in their seats.

"Thankfully, everybody was ok, but we tried to get out of there as quickly as possible," said Nelson. He also mentioned how, shortly after he had filmed a video of the plane after it crashed, which he posted on Facebook, there was another explosion.

However, as luck would have it, firefighters were there to combat the flames. After being asked where he was seated on the plane, Nelson said he was in row 10, which he noted was situated by the front of the wing.

The reporter then asked Nelson how he got himself out of his seatbelt and if all the other passengers stayed in theirs.

He answered, "Yeah, I mean it was mass chaos. I was upside down, the lady next to me was upside down. We kind of let ourselves go and fell to hit the ceiling, which is a surreal feeling, and then everybody was just like, 'Get out, get out, get out!' We could smell jet fuel, even now I smell like jet fuel."

Nelson then explained how the passengers crawled out of the back of the aircraft, where they immediately saw firefighters and EMTs. The passenger also confirmed that there were injuries as a result of the chaotic crash. Later in the interview, the reporter asked Nelson how he had felt since the crash.

"Stressed, nervous, shaky still," he disclosed. Confirming his disposition, the interviewer made it a point to note that she could clearly see this was the case. "Yeah, a lot of stress. it's amazing that we're still here," added Nelson.

Other details discussed during the interview include Nelson recalling how intense and scary the moment was. "It happened so fast that I just remember like, kind of pulling myself in and trying not to hit my head against anything and luckily, our flight attendants and everything were helpful for us," he shared.

Regarding his perspective on the potential reason the plane flipped over, Nelson clarified that he doesn't know, noting, "I don't know. I'm no expert on that one. I will let them figure it out. It feels like snow, wind, hard landing, all of it together." He also shared that he will be seeing his family tomorrow.

Upon seeing the video Nelson shared on Facebook of the Delta plane lying upside down in snow after it crashed, social media users took to the comment section to express their shock. "Omg!! So scary!!" exclaimed a Facebooker, while another echoed, "Wow that is crazy scary! Glad you and everyone is [sic] safe!"

A particularly emotional commenter penned, "John, are you kidding me?!? Unreal! I saw your post this morning about all the travel coming up. This is traumatizing, I'm so sorry you are dealing with this!"

Such comments poured in from people who continued to express concern and gratitude to learn of Nelson and the other passengers' safety. One user also revealed how shaken she is even as someone who has never been afraid of flying."Eek! Positive thoughts to you. 💙 . How absolutely terrifying!! I'm hearing there are multiple injuries," said someone else.

A spectator commented, "Wow! I hope your [sic] ok!" while another chimed in with, "This is unreal. Glad everyone seems to [sic] okay. 😲." "Scary stuff lately. Too many accidents in a short amount of time," observed a netizen. Meanwhile, another asked, "Is this real? Upside down? Where are the wings?"

Nelson's reflections come around the same time reports of the crash first surfaced, which provide details concerning how the traumatic event ensued.

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, February 17. The aircraft was carrying 80 people.

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 reads.

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 also 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 and CEO of aviation safety consulting firm Safety Operating Systems, John Cox, emphasized how rare such incidents are. He also 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.