At least 18 injured after Delta Airlines plane flips on landing at Toronto airport
At least 18 people were hurt after Endeavor Flight 4819 with 80 people onboard crashed on an icy runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada at around 2.15pm.
Footage showed the commercial jet, which had departed from Minneapolis just before midday, lying upside down on a runway blanketed in snow with one of its wings snapped off as passengers climbed out of the aircraft's doors.
Two passengers were airlifted to hospital with critical injuries and a child was taken to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto by ambulance.
All 80 people on board the CRJ-900 were evacuated following the crash.
Departures and arrivals resumed at the airport at 5pm.
An airport spokesman said: 'All 76 passengers and four crew from Delta Flight 4819 were accounted for.'
A video taken by a passenger after the crash showed a fire engine shooting water at the overturned wreckage, while a voice can be heard saying: 'Our plane crashed, it's upside down. Fire department's on site... most people are going to be OK, we're all getting off.'
Another clip taken which appeared to be from inside the plane showed bags strewn across the upside down plane. A stewardess could be heard telling passengers to 'drop everything' as she guided people climbing out of the aircraft.
Twelve of the injured had minor injuries and were transported by ground for medical attention, Lawrence Saindon, a superintendent for Peel Regional Paramedic Services, told NBC News.
Constable Sarah Patten of the Peel Regional Police in Ontario said they did not yet know the 'circumstances' of the plane crash. She added: 'It is my understanding that most of the passengers are out and unharmed, but we're still trying to make sure so we're still on scene investigating.'
Joshua McNamara, communications lead for Ornge air ambulance service, said: 'One male patient in his 60s has been transported to St Michael's Hospital in Toronto with critical injuries via helicopter.
'One female patient in her 40s has been transported to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto with critical injuries via helicopter.'
Delta said it was 'aware' of reports the flight had been 'involved in an incident,' and said it would share further details in due course.
Canada's Transportation Safety Board deployed a team of investigators.
The crash came after the region was battered by a winter storm of heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures and high winds. At the time of the crash there were 20 to 30mph winds, with reported gusts up to 40mph.
Airport staff had worked throughout the night on Sunday to clear the more than 22cm snow that was 'dumped' on the airport, Toronto Pearson said early Monday morning.
'Our airfield team has continued their work throughout the night to clear critical areas so planes can safely arrive and depart', they said on social media.
Yesterday's crash came less than three weeks after 67 people were killed when an army helicopter struck an American Airlines passenger jet approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington DC, the deadliest plane crash in the US since 2001. Days later at least seven people were killed when a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia.
Delta said Flight 4819 was 'involved in a single-aircraft accident', with initial reports indicating no fatalities.
Chief executive Ed Bastian said: 'The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today's incident. I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on site.'
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Delta has said in a statement that all of its flights departing from or arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport tonight have been cancelled.
Deborah Flint, chief executive of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, tells a press conference that 22 Canadians and 54 'multi-nationals' were onboard the plane when it crashed.
'Airport emergency workers mounted a textbook response, reaching the site within minutes and quickly evacuating the passengers,' she says.
Ms Flint continues: '17 injured passengers were quickly taken to local area hospitals. At this time we do not know of any of those passengers having critical injuries.'
Delta Airlines has previously said that 18 people were injured in the crash, and that three, including a child, were critically injured.
Toronto Pearson International Airport is scheduled to hold a press conference in a few minutes on the plane crash that took place earlier today.
Toronto Pearson International Airport has said that flights have resumed after a plane flipped over on landing earlier today.
'Departures and arrivals have resumed at Toronto Pearson,' it said in a statement.
'All 76 passengers and four crew from Delta flight 4819 were accounted for. A number of passengers were taken to local hospitals.'
Delta Airlines flight 4819 had been 'involved in a single-aircraft accident' and initial reports indicate there were no fatalities. IT said 18 customers with injuries had been transported to hospital.
'The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today's incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport,' said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. 'I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on site. We are working to confirm the details and will share the most current information... as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, please take care and stay safe.'
Delta said it had cancelled flights to and from Toronto Pearson for the remainder of Monday evening.
Joshua McNamara, communications lead for Ornge air ambulance service, three air helicopters and two Critical Care Land Ambulances (CCLA) had responded to the crash.
'One paediatric patient has been transported to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto with critical injuries via CCLA', he said.
'One male patient in his 60s has been transported to St Michael's Hospital in Toronto with critical injuries via helicopter.
'One female patient in her 40s has been transported to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto with critical injuries via helicopter.'
One of the critically-injured victims is a man in his 60s, who is being taken to St Michael's Hospital in Toronto, according to Toronto Air Ambulance.
The other is a woman in her 40s, who is being transported to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.
Details on the third victim who was critically-injured were not immediately available.
Winds around Toronto Pearson International Airport are currently around 32mph, with gusts of 40mph.
Temperatures are currently around -9C, while a blizzard this weekend left more than eight inches of snow on the ground.
Three people were critically injured when Endeavor Flight 4819 flipped over as it landed, CBC, the Canadian public broadcaster, has said.
They have since been taken to hospital.
All 80 people on board the Delta flight were evacuated following the crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
'Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada around 2:45 p.m. local time on Monday, February 17', the FAA said in a statement.
'All 80 people on board were evacuated. The CRJ-900 departed Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.'
More than four dozen flights have been delayed at Toronto Pearson after a Delta Airlines plane flipped over on landing, according to the airport's website.
The US Federal Aviation Administration said there was a ground stop at the airport.
Canada's Transportation Safety Board, the independent agency that investigates plane crashes, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Toronto Pearson said that 'emergency teams' are at the scene of the crash after a Delta Airlines plane flipped over on landing.
The airport said in a statement that it was 'aware of an incident upon landing involving a Delta Airlines plane arriving from Minneapolis', adding: 'Emergency teams are responding. All passengers and crew are accounted for.'
One person is critically injured while seven others have suffered mild to moderate injuries, paramedics told Canadian news website CP24.
Canada Police has said it so far does not know the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Here is some footage of the plane crashing on its back at Toronto airport.
'There is a plane crash. However, we don't know the circumstances surrounding it at this point,' said Constable Sarah Patten of the Peel Regional Police in Ontario.
'It is my understanding that most of the passengers are out and unharmed but we're still trying to make sure so we're still on scene investigating.'
At least eight passengers have been injured following the crash, paramedics told Toronto news channel CP24.
The plane, a CR900, was reportedly flying from Minnesota.
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