New footage shows moment Toronto plane explodes after crash
A Delta Air Lines plane crashed on an icy runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport, bursting into flames upon impact.
A dramatic video has captured the moment a Delta Air Lines plane crashed and burst into flames on an icy runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The CCTV footage showed Delta Flight 4819 hitting the runway at speed, quickly erupting into a fireball while skidding.
Large plumes of dark grey smoke billowed into the air above the blaze as the aircraft flipped over while carrying 80 people. The incident occurred at around 2:15 p.m. local time on Monday.
Passenger John Nelson said the aircraft "went sideways and ... we skidded on our side and flipped over on our back". He told CNN: "When we hit, it was super hard. I did notice the winds were super gusty.
"The snow had kinda blown over the runways. So coming it was routine but it was noticeable that the runways were in kind of a weird condition ... There was a big fireball on the left side of the plane.
"Thankfully, everybody was okay. We tried to get off as quickly as possible. There was another explosion, but luckily, the firefighters got out of there."
The Bombardier CRJ-900 was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members - all of whom survived - from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.Â
Eighteen people sustained moderate to minor injuries, including one child, prompting an emergency response from three helicopters and two ambulances.Â
The child was taken to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children by air ambulance and is said to be in good condition. The adults were also taken via helicopter to nearby hospitals.Â
It's unknown why the plane overturned, but the Transportation Safety Board of Canada had a team of investigators at the scene.
Peter Goelz, a Former National Transportation Safety Board member, speculated that a strong gust of wind hit the plane right as it touched down, tipping it over and ripping the wing off. He also claimed the impact caused the fire in the wing's fuel cells.
Departures and arrivals at the airport were briefly paused following the crash but have now been resumed.Â