Delta flight from Minnesota crash lands upside down in Toronto amid 40-mph winds

Delta plane flips over while landing in Toronto

An investigation is underway after a Delta Air Lines airplane that departed from Minneapolis on Monday flipped over while landing in Toronto. FOX News National Correspondent Nate Foy was in Toronto on Tuesday morning with the latest.

TORONTO – At least three passengers were critically injured Monday when a Delta Air Lines plane crash-landed on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Photos and videos from the airport showed the aircraft belly-up on the runway, with emergency vehicles surrounding it.

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According to information provided by Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air using a CRJ-900 aircraft, was involved in the single-aircraft incident at around 2:15 p.m. ET.

While it is not yet clear if weather played a role in the crash, the incident happened as extreme cold and wintry conditions unfolded across the northern tier of the U.S. and in Canada. Winds were gusting to about 40 mph at the time of the crash. 

No snow was falling at the time of the crash, but the gusty winds were blowing around the more than 8 inches of snow that fell at the airport over the weekend.

A scary scene in Canada where a Delta Airlines aircraft flipped over after landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport

Footage shows the plane lying upside down as first responders race to the location.

The flight originated from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). Officials said the flight was carrying 80 people at the time of the incident – 76 passengers and four crew members.

"The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by (Monday’s) incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. "I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and first responders on site."

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Watch: Smoke billows at Toronto airport after Delta Air Lines plane crash

A video recorded in Toronto shows smoke billowing from a Delta Air Lines airplane after it crashed on Monday, Feb. 18, 2025. The flight originated from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

Officials said 18 passengers were treated at local hospitals.

An Ornge Air Ambulance Services spokesperson said three patients were transported to Toronto hospitals with critical injuries. 

One pediatric patient was taken to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto with critical injuries via Ornge Critical Care Land Ambulance. A man in his 60s was taken to St. Michael's Hospital with critical injuries, and a woman in her 40s was taken to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre with critical injuries, Ornge spokesperson Joshua McNamara told FOX Weather. 

"No fatalities have been reported and some of the customers initially transported to area hospitals have been released," Delta said in a statement Monday night.

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Delta officials said they were sending a team of trained Delta Care Team representatives who will work to provide support for customers and their loved ones. In addition, Delta said that members of Endeavor Air’s leadership team, including CEO Jim Graham, were also headed to the scene.

Delta said they have been working to accommodate customers impacted by flight cancellations at YYZ and no additional changes were expected on Tuesday. However, officials advised passengers to monitor the status of their flights on the Fly Delta app.

U.S. Department of Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy said on X FAA investigators are on the way to Toronto but the Transportation Safety Board of Canada will lead the investigation into the incident. 

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According to FlightAware data, the flight was traveling around 135 mph just before landing, which is within normal limits. The pilot took a standard landing pattern, with no abnormal readings before landing.

What could cause a plane to flip?

Former pilot and aerospace engineer Arthur Rosenburg told FOX Weather that investigators will examine three elements to determine what went wrong with Flight 4819: the landing environment, the airplane and the crew. 

Investigation ongoing to determine if weather led to Toronto plane flip

At least 18 people were injured on Monday when a Delta Air Line flight flipped over after landing in Toronto. Former pilot and aerospace engineer Arthur Rosenburg explains all the elements that could have played a role in this crash, including wind and other weather factors. 

Given the strong crosswinds near 40 mph, Rosenburg said he thinks the crew should not have made the approach during those conditions. 

"When planes land with the crosswind, when they point the nose of the planes, it's called a crab, into the wind, the plane tracks straight. The nose is to the right of the straight line. Just at touchdown, you put in the opposite rudder, straighten out the airplane, flare the plane, and hopefully touch down safely," Rosenburg said. 

"In this case, we had a 40-degree crosswind. We had a wind of gusting 35 to 40 knots, which was just about at the legal limit of this plane's capability to land safely," he said.

Passengers reported a very hard landing and Rosenburg believes a landing gear may have perforated the right wing tank, causing a loss of control. 

"At that point, the flight crew up front was basically just the passengers along with everybody else. The plane was out of control," Rosenburg said.