Delta plane crash: Passenger describes landing of flight 4819 in Toronto
TORONTO (FOX 9) - A passenger on Delta flight 4819 recounts his experience of the crash at Toronto Pearson’s Airport.
Delta plane crash in Toronto
What we know:
Delta flight 4819 took off from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Monday morning. The plane, a CRJ-900 aircraft, crashed as it was touching down at Toronto Pearson around 2:30 p.m.
The plane came to a rest upside down, slightly off to the right of the runway. Following the impact, parts of the aircraft separated, and a fire ensued, according to officials.
All 80 people on board, 76 passengers and four crew members, were evacuated. Delta Air Lines said 21 injured passengers were transported to local hospitals, and as of Tuesday morning, 19 have been released.
Officials said the injuries ranged from minor to critical, but they're not considered life-threatening. The most common complaints among passengers were about back sprains, head injury, anxiety, in addition to headaches, nausea, and vomiting due to fuel exposure.
Passenger experience on Delta plane crash
What they're saying:
Pete Carlson was headed from his home in Minnesota to speak at a conference for paramedics when the plane crashed in Toronto. He says his life flashed before his eyes as it was happening.
"For at least a brief period of time I thought, I’m not getting off this plane," said Carlson.
The descent was uneventful, Carlson explained, but the landing was loud and forceful. He said it felt like the plane was sliding across the surface before flipping over.
"The next thing I know, I’m upside down and my seatbelt was still belted," he said, recalling the chaos inside the plane as passengers yelled and screamed after the crash.
"I released my belt, dropped to the ceiling which was now the floor. And the whole thing, in the moment, was very, very disorienting and very confusing to be upside down," he added.
After the impact, Carlson says his paramedic training kicked in, and he was able to help passengers around him. While waiting inside the plane, he recalled the overpowering smell of gas.
"I’m looking out the window and just watching it [the fuel] flow down the window," he said. "I sent my wife a text and just said I love you. I love our children."
The passengers were evacuated, and moved a safe distance away from the crashed aircraft.
"It was interesting to be standing on the tarmac. It was equally disorienting," he recalled. "The wind was just blowing the snow. It just felt sort of like a movie."
Carlson said he plans to fly back home to Minnesota after attending the conference.
"I think the flight will be really strange," he said. "I hope to just be a passenger sitting on an airplane landing safely back in Minnesota."
Investigating the Delta plane crash
What we don't know:
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing. It isn’t exactly clear what went wrong during the landing, and what factors contributed to the crash, including the weather.
"At this point, it’s far too early to say what the cause of this accident might be. However, we will share more information once we’re able to," said TSB investigator Ken Webster in an update on Tuesday.
The voice and flight data recorders have been removed from the cockpit and sent to a lab for further analysis. Investigators are continuing to examine the wreckage and runway, said Webster.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA, Delta Air Lines and Mitsubishi.