Delta plane crash passenger recounts 'very surreal' experience
Investigators are working to determine what caused Delta Flight 4819 to crash and overturn at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
The plane, which departed from Minneapolis, crashed amid blowing snow and strong wind gusts in the Toronto area. Dramatic video shows the plane reach the ground, erupt in flames, bounce on the runway and then flip over.
MORE: Delta plane crash latest: 'Extreme conditions' at Toronto airport in days before crash
ABC News' Linsey Davis talked to passenger Brian Erickson about the terrifying moments before impact, how all 80 people evacuated and how he's doing now.
ABC NEWS: We're joined now by Brian Erickson, a passenger on board that harrowing plane ride. Brian, thank you so much for joining us. So glad that you all made it off there safely. Just give us a sense of how you're feeling about it all today.
BRIAN ERICKSON: Well, thank you for that, first of all. It's the love and support that everybody has given us from friends, family, strangers; It's just been overwhelming.
So, yeah, it's, you know, 24 hours-plus since the incident. And it's a little humbling, you know, that we -- 80 people were on that airplane and 80 people got off that airplane. That was incredible.
ABC NEWS: And we're looking at some video where you can see people actually hanging from the ceiling, you know, supported in large part, we'd imagine, just by the seat belts. Give us a sense of what happened. When did you first realize something was wrong?
ERICKSON: We were coming in pretty hot. You know, it seemed like it was a very rough landing. And then all of a sudden, it's like, wait a minute, we're rolling to the right. What's going on? And then, we're upside-down and sliding. It was a very interesting sensation.
A lot of people praying, a lot of people saying, no, no, no, no. And when it finally ended and it was dead quiet, you know, everybody leapt into action. Everybody was helping their neighbor. Everyone was helping out and just being, you know, making sure everyone was OK and get off this airplane. Let's get out.
ABC NEWS: You said that some people were praying. I, just take us to that moment for you personally. What was rolling through your mind? People say in those moments you see your life flash before your eyes. Was that the case for you?
ERICKSON: Yeah. I mean, it was very surreal. I think I've told people that it happened in an instant, but it lasted an eternity. It really was very, you know, I didn't really understand what was going on. I just knew something wasn't right. And yeah, I don't I don't recommend arriving in that fashion at all.
MORE: Dramatic video shows moment Delta plane flipped after landing in Toronto
ABC NEWS: I don't know if you're a frequent flier, but just curious what you think about getting on board another flight.
ERICKSON: I do travel for my job. I'm OK with it. We actually flew back today from Toronto. I'm in Minneapolis. And personally, I'm OK with it. I know that it's one of the safest forms of travel.
And, you know, this is a very rare incident in multiple ways. This is so rare. To have everybody walk away from this kind of carnage. And yeah, I will. I can't fly to Canada. I can't find my passport. It's on that airplane.
ABC NEWS: Ah, got it. OK. Well, Brian, again, we are so glad you are safe and sound tonight and willing to talk with us. So, really appreciate it.
ERICKSON: Thank you for reaching out. I hope that everybody else that was on that plane, if they hear this, that they get home safely, that they're getting the support and the help that they need.
ABC NEWS: We share that same sentiment. All right. Thank you so much.
Delta plane crash passenger recounts 'very surreal' experience originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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30 minutes ago
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Colorado attack comes amid record incidents of antisemitic and Islamophic hate crimes
As law enforcement agents investigate Sunday's fiery attack on a group of pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, crime data shows the rampage came amid a dramatic increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes across the nation, suggesting further that the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists continues to spill into the U.S. The suspect in the Boulder attack, 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman, allegedly yelled "Free Palestine" while targeting the pro-Israel demonstrators with a "flamethrower" fashioned from a commercial backpack weed sprayer and Molotov cocktails at a pedestrian mall, authorities said. Soliman entered the United States in August 2022 on a B2 tourist visa, which expired in February 2023, according to Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. He filed for asylum in September 2022, McLaughlin said. Court documents made public in the case allege Soliman, who was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado, three years ago, "wanted to kill all Zionist people and wish they were all dead." While some politicians and pro-Israel activists have used antisemitism as a catchall word for an alleged motive in the attack, the suspect told investigators, "This had nothing to do with the Jewish community and was specific in the Zionist group supporting the killings of people on his land (Palestine)," according to state court documents. But Ted Deutch, chief executive officer of the American Jewish Committee, noted that the attack came less than two weeks after a gunman shouting "Free Palestine" killed two Israeli embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. "These are not isolated incidents," Deutch told ABC News. "This is a war against people who support Israel, it's a war against the Jewish people and nobody should tolerate it." Deutch added, "We have to acknowledge that the incitement that we've seen from the language that's being used, the lies about genocide, the calls for globalizing the Intifada, resistance by any means necessary, all of this language contributes to an environment in which violence will, and now twice in two weeks, has taken place." Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, told ABC News that while there has been a spike in attacks on the American Jewish community since the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise assault on Israel by Hamas terrorists, antisemitic attacks in the United States have been steadily climbing for the last decade. "The last few months have put a fine point on the fact that there are those who are using the guise of protesting Israel to target and violently attack Jews," Spitalnick said. The statements of the Boulder suspect underscore that the definition of the term Zionism is "woefully misunderstood," Spitalnick said. "What Zionism means to me is generally the belief that Jews should have a homeland somewhere in this world where we have deep historical connections. And it actually goes hand-in-hand with the belief in Palestinian self-determination and dignity for me and many others," she said. "When the term is used in this pejorative as we have seen it particularly over the last few years, but long before that as well, it effectively says that 80% to 90% of Jews should be discriminated against, or cast out of spaces, or in extreme case violently targeted as we saw this weekend. That is antisemitism when you're saying the majority of American Jews are fair game," Spitalnick added. She said the majority of American Jews have a relationship with Israel. 'That doesn't mean that we agree with its government,' Spitalnick said. 'In fact, many of us, and many Israelis, don't agree with the government and don't necessarily support what's happening in Gaza right now." According to an audit issued in April by the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents, including assaults and vandalism, has jumped 344% over the past five years and increased 893% over the past 10 years. "For the first time in the history of the Audit, a majority (58%) of all incidents contained elements related to Israel or Zionism," according to the ADL. Since the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents have been reported in the United States alone, according to the ADL. In addition to the Washington, D.C., and Boulder attacks, a 38-year-old man was arrested in April and charged with firebombing the Pennsylvania governor's residence in Harrisburg, while Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, and his family were asleep inside, officials said. According to a search warrant affidavit, the suspect allegedly targeted Shapiro "based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine." Islamophobic attack have also been on the rise, according to a report issued in March by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. CAIR reported that it received more than 8,650 complaints in 2024, the highest number the group has ever gotten. Among the anti-Muslim incidents reported was the fatal Oct. 14, 2023, stabbing of 6-year-old Palestinian American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, by his Illinois landlord, 73-year-old Joseph Czuba, who prosecutors said killed the child and attacked his mother in response to the Israel-Hamas war. Czuba was convicted of murder and hate crime charges in February and was sentenced in May to 53 years in prison. On Nov. 25, 2023, three college students of Palestinian descent were shot, including one who was paralyzed, in Burlington, Vermont, when they were allegedly targeted by 48-year-old Jason J. Eaton, a former Boy Scout leader, as the students, who were visiting the city during the Thanksgiving holiday, were walking in his neighborhood speaking a mix of Arabic and English, authorities said. Two of the students were wearing keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarves. Eaton has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder and is awaiting a trial. While there were widespread calls for a hate crime charge against Eaton, prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence to support such a charge. Following the deadly May 21 Washington, D.C., rampage, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning law enforcement that "violent extremist messaging continues to highlight major sporting and cultural events and venues as potential targets." "The May attack that killed two Israeli Embassy staff members at an event in Washington, D.C., underscores how the Israel-Hamas conflict continue to inspire violence and could spur radicalization or mobilization to violence against targets perceived as supporting Israel," according to the DHS, adding that some online users were sharing the suspect's alleged writings and "praising the shooter and generally calling for more violence." The increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks have come against the backdrop of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. The administration has also threatened to withhold federal funding to universities, including Harvard and Columbia, for not doing enough to tackle antisemitism on campuses. The administration has attempted to deport or revoke visas of foreign students who have engaged in pro-Palestinian protests and activism on college campuses. In April, five Democratic Senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Trump accusing his administration of weaponizing antisemitism. "We are extremely troubled and disturbed by your broad and extra-legal attacks against universities and higher education institutions as well as members of their communities, which seem to go far beyond combatting antisemitism, using what is a real crisis as a pretext to attack people and institutions who do not agree with you," the Democratic senators wrote, urging Trump to "reverse course immediately." Within hours of the Boulder attack on Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel was quick to say the case is being investigated as "an act of terrorism." Twelve people, including members of the group Run for Their Lives, an organization that regularly holds demonstrations in Boulder to bring attention to the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, were injured in the attack, which unfolded around 1:26 p.m. local time at Boulder's outdoor Pearl Street Mall, directly across the street from the Boulder County Courthouse, authorities said. Video taken of the incident showed a shirtless Soliman allegedly holding his makeshift weapons prior to the attack. Soliman was immediately taken into custody without incident. Soliman, who is being held on $10 million bond, made his first court appearance on Monday afternoon. He did not enter a plea to the charges. Unlike previous high-profile hate-crime investigations, the Boulder attack was immediately described as an act of terrorism, signaling a change in the approach federal investigators have taken in such incidents under the new Trump administration. "Back when I was in [the FBI], so before 2016, everything was terrorism until it wasn't terrorism. We still were working off the 9/11 response," said retired FBI special agent Rich Frankel, an ABC News contributor. "And after that, it appeared that they started calling it hate crime." Holocaust survivor among the Boulder attack victims Frankel said the FBI's decision to immediately labeling such attacks as the Boulder incident as an act of terrorism is apparently because it allows investigators to use additional laws and investigative techniques, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which establishes the legal framework for the gathering of intelligence, electronic surveillance and physical searches. He said it also enables prosecutors to file additional enhanced charges. "If you think there might be an international angle naming a group or a country, it is terrorism and that gives you a whole host of different laws that you can use and also investigative techniques because now you're under the FISA system, you're under the secret system. Instead of getting search warrants, you can get a FISA," Frankel said. "The new administration might want that more than a hate crime." Trump responds to Boulder attack in social media post, seizes on suspect's immigration status President Donald Trump has also used the word terrorism to describe the Boulder case, saying in a post Monday on his Truth Social platform that the suspect "came through Biden's ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly." "He must go out under 'TRUMP' POLICY," Trump added. "Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland."
31 minutes ago
Colorado attack comes amid record incidents of antisemitic and Islamophic hate crimes
As law enforcement agents investigate Sunday's fiery attack on a group of pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, crime data shows the rampage came amid a dramatic increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes across the nation, suggesting further that the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists continues to spill into the U.S. The suspect in the Boulder attack, 45-year-old Mohamed Soliman, allegedly yelled "Free Palestine" while targeting the pro-Israel demonstrators with a "flamethrower" fashioned from a commercial backpack weed sprayer and Molotov cocktails at a pedestrian mall, authorities said. Soliman entered the United States in August 2022 on a B2 tourist visa, which expired in February 2023, according to Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. He filed for asylum in September 2022, McLaughlin said. Court documents made public in the case allege Soliman, who was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado, three years ago, "wanted to kill all Zionist people and wish they were all dead." While some politicians and pro-Israel activists have used antisemitism as a catchall word for an alleged motive in the attack, the suspect told investigators, "This had nothing to do with the Jewish community and was specific in the Zionist group supporting the killings of people on his land (Palestine)," according to state court documents. But Ted Deutch, chief executive officer of the American Jewish Committee, noted that the attack came less than two weeks after a gunman shouting "Free Palestine" killed two Israeli embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. "These are not isolated incidents," Deutch told ABC News. "This is a war against people who support Israel, it's a war against the Jewish people and nobody should tolerate it." Deutch added, "We have to acknowledge that the incitement that we've seen from the language that's being used, the lies about genocide, the calls for globalizing the Intifada, resistance by any means necessary, all of this language contributes to an environment in which violence will, and now twice in two weeks, has taken place." Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, told ABC News that while there has been a spike in attacks on the American Jewish community since the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise assault on Israel by Hamas terrorists, antisemitic attacks in the United States have been steadily climbing for the last decade. "The last few months have put a fine point on the fact that there are those who are using the guise of protesting Israel to target and violently attack Jews," Spitalnick said. The statements of the Boulder suspect underscore that the definition of the term Zionism is "woefully misunderstood," Spitalnick said. "What Zionism means to me is generally the belief that Jews should have a homeland somewhere in this world where we have deep historical connections. And it actually goes hand-in-hand with the belief in Palestinian self-determination and dignity for me and many others," she said. "When the term is used in this pejorative as we have seen it particularly over the last few years, but long before that as well, it effectively says that 80% to 90% of Jews should be discriminated against, or cast out of spaces, or in extreme case violently targeted as we saw this weekend. That is antisemitism when you're saying the majority of American Jews are fair game," Spitalnick added. She said the majority of American Jews have a relationship with Israel. 'That doesn't mean that we agree with its government,' Spitalnick said. 'In fact, many of us, and many Israelis, don't agree with the government and don't necessarily support what's happening in Gaza right now." National alarm sounded before attack According to an audit issued in April by the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents, including assaults and vandalism, has jumped 344% over the past five years and increased 893% over the past 10 years. "For the first time in the history of the Audit, a majority (58%) of all incidents contained elements related to Israel or Zionism," according to the ADL. Since the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents have been reported in the United States alone, according to the ADL. In addition to the Washington, D.C., and Boulder attacks, a 38-year-old man was arrested in April and charged with firebombing the Pennsylvania governor's residence in Harrisburg, while Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, and his family were asleep inside, officials said. According to a search warrant affidavit, the suspect allegedly targeted Shapiro "based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine." Islamophobic attack have also been on the rise, according to a report issued in March by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. CAIR reported that it received more than 8,650 complaints in 2024, the highest number the group has ever gotten. Among the anti-Muslim incidents reported was the fatal Oct. 14, 2023, stabbing of 6-year-old Palestinian American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, by his Illinois landlord, 73-year-old Joseph Czuba, who prosecutors said killed the child and attacked his mother in response to the Israel-Hamas war. Czuba was convicted of murder and hate crime charges in February and was sentenced in May to 53 years in prison. On Nov. 25, 2023, three college students of Palestinian descent were shot, including one who was paralyzed, in Burlington, Vermont, when they were allegedly targeted by 48-year-old Jason J. Eaton, a former Boy Scout leader, as the students, who were visiting the city during the Thanksgiving holiday, were walking in his neighborhood speaking a mix of Arabic and English, authorities said. Two of the students were wearing keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarves. Eaton has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder and is awaiting a trial. While there were widespread calls for a hate crime charge against Eaton, prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence to support such a charge. Following the deadly May 21 Washington, D.C., rampage, the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin warning law enforcement that "violent extremist messaging continues to highlight major sporting and cultural events and venues as potential targets." "The May attack that killed two Israeli Embassy staff members at an event in Washington, D.C., underscores how the Israel-Hamas conflict continue to inspire violence and could spur radicalization or mobilization to violence against targets perceived as supporting Israel," according to the DHS, adding that some online users were sharing the suspect's alleged writings and "praising the shooter and generally calling for more violence." The increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks have come against the backdrop of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. The administration has also threatened to withhold federal funding to universities, including Harvard and Columbia, for not doing enough to tackle antisemitism on campuses. The administration has attempted to deport or revoke visas of foreign students who have engaged in pro-Palestinian protests and activism on college campuses. In April, five Democratic Senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Trump accusing his administration of weaponizing antisemitism. "We are extremely troubled and disturbed by your broad and extra-legal attacks against universities and higher education institutions as well as members of their communities, which seem to go far beyond combatting antisemitism, using what is a real crisis as a pretext to attack people and institutions who do not agree with you," the Democratic senators wrote, urging Trump to "reverse course immediately." 'An act of terrorism' Within hours of the Boulder attack on Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel was quick to say the case is being investigated as "an act of terrorism." Twelve people, including members of the group Run for Their Lives, an organization that regularly holds demonstrations in Boulder to bring attention to the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, were injured in the attack, which unfolded around 1:26 p.m. local time at Boulder's outdoor Pearl Street Mall, directly across the street from the Boulder County Courthouse, authorities said. Video taken of the incident showed a shirtless Soliman allegedly holding his makeshift weapons prior to the attack. Soliman was immediately taken into custody without incident. Soliman, who is being held on $10 million bond, made his first court appearance on Monday afternoon. He did not enter a plea to the charges. Unlike previous high-profile hate-crime investigations, the Boulder attack was immediately described as an act of terrorism, signaling a change in the approach federal investigators have taken in such incidents under the new Trump administration. "Back when I was in [the FBI], so before 2016, everything was terrorism until it wasn't terrorism. We still were working off the 9/11 response," said retired FBI special agent Rich Frankel, an ABC News contributor. "And after that, it appeared that they started calling it hate crime." Frankel said the FBI's decision to immediately labeling such attacks as the Boulder incident as an act of terrorism is apparently because it allows investigators to use additional laws and investigative techniques, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which establishes the legal framework for the gathering of intelligence, electronic surveillance and physical searches. He said it also enables prosecutors to file additional enhanced charges. "If you think there might be an international angle naming a group or a country, it is terrorism and that gives you a whole host of different laws that you can use and also investigative techniques because now you're under the FISA system, you're under the secret system. Instead of getting search warrants, you can get a FISA," Frankel said. "The new administration might want that more than a hate crime." President Donald Trump has also used the word terrorism to describe the Boulder case, saying in a post Monday on his Truth Social platform that the suspect "came through Biden's ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly." "He must go out under 'TRUMP' POLICY," Trump added. "Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland."
an hour ago
Hegseth orders Navy to rename ship honoring gay rights activist Harvey Milk
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to strike the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk from one of its ships, orchestrating the change as Pride month celebrations take place. A defense official said the timing of the decision was intentional. The order was first reported by and confirmed by ABC News. The USNS Harvey Milk is one of several ships named after prominent civil rights leaders and activists. A new name has not been announced. Milk was one of the first openly gay men elected to public office in the United States after winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He was assassinated a year later. Before his death, Milk was credited with encouraging his friend and artist Gilbert Baker, a U.S. Army veteran to create the Pride flag. Milk was played by Sean Penn in the 2008 biographical film "Milk."
