Passengers On Flipped Toronto Plane Describe Harrowing Ordeal
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the flight, DL 4819, was carrying 80 people, all of whom made it out alive.
Now, some are speaking out about their harrowing ordeal.
John Nelson, one passenger, recounted to CNN that the plane's occupants 'tried to get out of there as quickly as possible.'
'We hit the ground and the plane went sideways and I believe we skidded on our side and flipped over on our back,' Nelson told the outlet. As the plane came to a halt, the passengers made a swift dash for the nearest exit. He described the scene as 'mass chaos,' and like being on an 'emotional rollercoaster.'
After Nelson escaped, he said, there was yet another explosion. Fortunately, he noted, firefighters were on hand to control the situation.
Another passenger, Peter Koukov, said people onboard were 'hanging like bats' after the plane came to rest. He managed to unbuckle himself, but said others needed assistance.
Peter Carlson, also aboard the flight, told CBC News that the landing felt 'forceful,' and his first instinct was 'to get out of this.'
'What I saw was everyone on that plane suddenly became very close, in terms of how to help one another, how to console one another,' Carlson told the outlet. 'That was powerful, but there was definite: 'What now? Who is leading? How do we find ourselves away from this?''
CNN also reported that flight attendants played a key role in helping passengers escape, assisting them in crawling out through the open exit doors.
This morning on X, formerly Twitter, Delta confirmed that '21 injured passengers were initially transported to local hospitals. As of Tuesday morning, 19 have been released.'
'Our most pressing priority remains taking care of all customers and Endeavor crew members who were involved,' said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. 'We'll do everything we can to support them and their families in the days ahead, and I know the hearts, thoughts and prayers of the entire Delta community are with them.'
After the incident, Deborah Flint, CEO of Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said, 'We are very grateful that there was no loss of life and relatively minor injuries.'
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Begay retired in 1984 after 40 years of federal service as a superintendent at the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Chinle, Arizona. MacDonald's legacy is more complicated. He served four terms as the Navajo Nation chairman, becoming popular for aggressively championing Navajo sovereignty. But he was sentenced to jail time in 1990 on federal and tribal charges, including bribery and racketeering; his earlier refusal to step down when placed on administrative leave led to a lengthy standoff and ultimately a riot in which two of his supporters died. President Bill Clinton would ultimately commute his sentence to time served. At a White House reception hosted by President Donald Trump in 2017, MacDonald said he and his then-12 fellow surviving Code Talkers had one last mission: to ensure the memory of their accomplishments was kept alive. It is not a memory that has always been respected. MacDonald had hoped that 'Windtalkers,' a 2002 action movie based on their contributions, would serve as a cultural touchstone for a new generation. But the production was critically panned and criticized for its historical inaccuracies. 'They asked us to come to their opening,' MacDonald told CNN about the movie's premiere. 'And what do we see? About 20% of the movie was Navajo Code Talkers. 80% of the movie was about Nicolas Cage and whatever problem he was having with his girlfriend,' he said. For several years, one of the best collections of artifacts relating to the Code Talkers was found in an unlikely place: a Burger King in Kayenta, Arizona. Small exhibits also exist in museums in nearby Tuba City and in Gallup, New Mexico, but MacDonald has campaigned for a museum dedicated solely to the Code Talkers. That project is ongoing. Earlier this year, the surviving Code Talkers experienced an unexpected new assault on their legacy. 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The Pentagon subsequently restored the pages, and Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot said in a statement at the time: 'In the rare cases that content is removed — either deliberately or by mistake — that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct the components and they correct the content so it recognizes our heroes for their dedicated service alongside their fellow Americans, period.' The episode became a flashpoint in the national controversy over the Trump administration's targeting of DEI initiatives. Ronald Begay, who champions his father's efforts to preserve the Code Talkers' legacy, said he was 'appalled' by the saga. 'I immediately started texting the Navajo Code Talker descendants, as well as some prominent veterans – we support each other in various ways,' he said. 'Why would they do that?' he asked. 'After all, that's why we are free … our language was historic.' The episode was quickly undone. But for the Code Talkers and their descendants, it struck at the heart of a deep-rooted fear: that their legacy will be sidelined once MacDonald and Begay are not longer around to tell their stories. 'We need a good 'thank you' from the people who have become wealthy in America,' MacDonald said. He'd like a new movie to be made about their contribution, alongside a permanent, dedicated museum. MacDonald and other Code Talkers have campaigned for years to make the museum project a reality, but it remains tens of millions of dollars out of reach, the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper reported in 2023. CNN has contacted organizers of the project for an update on its progress. 'I don't believe (people) understand this tremendous contribution to the battle in the Pacific War,' he said. 'It made all the difference in the world.' The next time a post-war milestone is met, it is possible that no Code Talkers will be alive to greet it. But MacDonald and Begay hope their contribution to American history is remembered once they are no longer present to tell their stories. 'I believe this is the only country in the entire world blessed by the holy ones,' MacDonald said. 'And we need to keep it that way.' But the Pentagon's DEI purge and the lack of progress on the long-running effort to cement the Code Talkers' legacy with a museum has angered him. 'We need to get back to serious thinking (about) how we're gonna live into the next century,' he said.
