Canada plane crash latest: Emergency services attending reported plane crash at Toronto airport – BBC.com
Two people remain in hospital after a Delta plane arriving into Toronto Pearson airport crashed and skidded along the runway before flipping upside downThe two patients do not face life-threatening injuries, Toronto Pearson airport CEO Deborah Flint says at a news conferenceAsked about the runway’s conditions at the time of the crash, Flint says it is too early to speculate on what caused itShe does say the airport has been experiencing “extreme conditions” in the days running up to the crash, with “two separate snowstorms” and “not typical” snowfallAll 76 passengers and four crew on the flight from Minnesota survived the incidentTwenty-one people were taken to hospital with injuries – 19 have since been releasedThis video can not be playedWatch: Video of Toronto plane crash analysed by aviation expertsEdited by Brandon Livesay with Jessica Murphy at Toronto AirportWe’ve just heard from Toronto officials who weren’t able to shed much light on yesterday’s crash due to the ongoing investigation.Here’s what we did learn from that press conference:This video can not be playedWatch: BBC asks police about ‘difficult’ conditions at Toronto airportBBC reporter Jessica Murphy asks Deputy Chief Marc Andrews for more detail on the conditions at the airport on Monday afternoon.Andrews says he was speaking about the “environment conditions: the cold, the wind, the fact that we were still having the occasional snow”.But, he reiterates, they are “used to working in” weather like that, and the first responders did a “tremendous job”.”It’s part of the environment that we operate in,” he says.And with that, the briefing has finished. A representative from the Peel Regional Paramedic Services details the injuries that first responders encountered following the crash.He says some passengers had:Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews says conditions were “difficult” at the scene of the crash.But, he adds, they “regularly practice” with other first responders and “were prepared for this event, as extreme as it was”.They “no doubt saved lives”, Andrews says.Todd Aitken, fire chief at Toronto Pearson, is speaking about the response to the crash.He says the crew put out spot fires upon arrival at the plane wreckage.They then did a primary search and rescue operation during which all the passengers were evacuated from the plane. Aitken adds that most passengers “self-evacuated” following the incident.As a reminder, you can watch this update live at the top of this page.Toronto Pearson airport CEO Deborah Flint is taking questions now.Asked about the conditions on the runway during the crash, Flint says it is “not the time” to speculate on the cause of the crash.There is an ongoing investigation “to determine all the causal factors”, she says.”We are looking forward” to getting the results, Flint adds, and will share that information “at a proper time”.She also says that there are no life-threatening injuries.Flint now talks about operations at Toronto Pearson Airport, noting that their emergency operation centre remains open and operations on the airport’s runways have resumed.”We have been in recovery mode,” she says, adding that they are currently without use of the longest east-west and north-south runways.She says investigators on sight will be reviewing the crashed aircraft on the runway for next 48 hours. The removal of the aircraft will follow.Jessica MurphyReporting from Toronto airportToronto’s airport, barring a slew of late and cancelled
flights still today, feels very much back to normal.Two runways remained closed on Tuesday as the
investigation into yesterday’s crash continues.Even with the delays – due to both weather and the crash
– travellers are moving through the terminals at Pearson, one of the busiest
airports in Canada.It’s a juxtaposition to the dramatic footage from
yesterday of the Delta flight’s crash landing.Airport CEO Deborah Flint says the snow at the weekend
was far more than Pearson usually receives – Monday was a chance for the
airport to return to normal operations. The airport has been experiencing “extreme conditions” in the days running up to the crash, Flint says, with “two separate snowstorms” and “not typical” snowfall.There had been “many delays and cancellations” to flights in the area, she says.Monday, however, was a “clear day”, Flint says, and had been seen as one for an “operational recovery” following the weather-related disruption.Flint goes on to give an overview of yesterday’s crash.She repeats that the plane was carrying four crew members and 76 passengers.She says 21 passengers were injured, and adds that 19 people have since left the hospital they were treated at.Two people remain in hospital for treatment.This video can not be playedAirport CEO Deborah Flint thanks flight attendants, calling them ‘heroes’Flint starts by saying “it’s really important to recognise how grateful we are” there was no loss of life in the plane crash.She praises flight attendants and crew who “heroically led passengers to safety” from the overturned plane, amid smoke on the runway.”Thank you for all you do every day at night,” she says.Toronto Pearson airport CEO Deborah Flint is now giving an update on yesterday’s plane crash.You can follow along by pressing the watch live button at the top of the page.Flights have resumed at Toronto Pearson International Airport following yesterday’s crashToronto is experiencing freezing weather, with temperatures plummeting to -7C (19F) during the day, and -13C (8F) through the night.Light snow showers and a moderate breeze are also expected.As we’ve been reporting, some analysts have suggested that the harsh winter weather may be partially to blame for yesterday’s plane crash.Toronto Pearson International Airport had been experiencing many delays because of the winter weather before the crash. The airport fire chief stated yesterday the runway was dry at the time of the incident. We’re expecting to hear another update from officials in the next few minutes, which you can watch live at the top of this page.The Toronto crash is the fourth major aviation incident in North America since the start of the year.We’re still waiting to hear an update from authorities on yesterday’s plane crash at Toronto Pearson airport.That had been scheduled to start now, but it’s been pushed back to about midday local time (17:00 GMT).And a reminder that you’ll be able to watch that briefing live at the top of this page when it begins.James FitzGeraldBBC News reporterWe’re still awaiting official word as to how and why the plane crashed. Authorities are expected to give an update at 11:30 EST (16:30 GMT), which you can watch live at the top of this page.What we do know is that shortly after 14:00 local time on Monday (19:00 GMT), Delta Air Lines flight DL4819 skidded along the runway in flames before flipping over and coming to a dramatic halt upside down, losing its tail and an entire wing in the process.Some analysts suggest the harsh winter weather may be to blame, or that the plane may have hit something.Airport authorities had earlier said that although recent heavy snow had stopped, “frigid temperatures and high winds [were] moving in”, but the airport fire chief stated the runway was dry at the time of the incident.Former pilot Marco Chan says the plane appeared to have made a hard landing, touching down with one wheel first. This, he tells the BBC, might have caused the landing gear to collapse on impact, causing the right wing hitting the runway and in turn causing the plane to roll.James FitzGeraldBBC News reporter”The sheer survivability of this is really amazing,” journalist and licensed pilot Dan Ronan tells the BBC, pointing out that the aeroplane’s body stayed intact.He highlights the importance of the plane’s high-impact 16G seats, which he says were “designed to absorb a great deal of punishment”.Other commentators have also hailed the aircraft’s safety features. CNN analyst and former FAA inspector David Soucie says the plane had broken apart as it had meant to, with the detachment of the wings stopping the fuselage ripping apart.”Even the design of the seat back or the tray table is all part of how we consider making that survivable space,” Graham Braithwaite, a safety and accident investigation professor, tells the BBC. “And the seatbelt that people have is so important – that is the ultimate thing that stops people being thrown around the cabin like this.”The flight attendants have also been praised for getting everyone off the flipped aeroplane quickly. Emergency crews on the ground were labelled “heroic” by the airport chief after reaching the crash site in a matter of minutes.This video can not be playedA passenger filmed his escape from the upside down plane after it had skidded along the runway during a failed landing.It shows passengers clambering over belongings and seats to reach the exit of the aircraft. Crew can be heard telling people to leave their belongings behind as they are helped through the plane door.Alex SmithReporting from Washington DCHello and welcome back to our live coverage.Investigations are under way on Tuesday morning after a Delta Air Lines plane crashed and flipped over upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport.Twenty-one of the 80 people on board were injured, although only a few of those seriously – something analysts have called miraculous.Officials have yet to publicly comment on what caused the crash, and authorities have released few details about what happened, but we’re expecting a briefing on the incident shortly – about 11:30 ET (16:30 GMT).Stick with us and we’ll bring you the latest.It is just after 21:30 in Toronto, and we are wrapping up our coverage for the evening. We’ve heard news conferences from the airport’s CEO Deborah Flint and fire chief Todd Aitken – and are expecting another news conference at some point on Tuesday. There are questions still to be answered about exactly how the crash happened.Here’s a re-cap of some of the key details: To watch and listen, you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Details Emerging After Toronto Plane Crash. BBC News. VideoDetails Emerging After Toronto Plane CrashBBC NewsCopyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
