Toronto Plane Crash Passenger Describes ‘Mass Chaos’ as Aircraft Landed

What started as a “typical flight from Minneapolis to Toronto” on Monday for John Nelson quickly turned into “mass chaos.”

Nelson – along with 79 other people – was in a Delta Airlines plane Monday afternoon that crashed and came to a rest on its roof, injuring 17 people.

“Thankfully everybody was okay,” Nelson told CNN’s Brianna Keilar. “it was mass chaos…It’s an emotional rollercoaster that you go through, but it’s things you hope you don’t see again.”

The Context

Minneapolis-based Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, was in charge of the flight that landed at the Toronto Pearson Airport. Video from the scene shows the Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR overturned on the snowy tarmac as emergency crews spray it down. All 80 people on board the plane survived.

This marks at least the fourth major aviation incident in North America in the past month. On January 29, a commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter collided near the nation’s capital, claiming 67 lives. Two days later, on January 31, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing all six onboard and one person on the ground. Additionally, a plane crash on February 6 in Alaska resulted in 10 fatalities.

What To Know

Nelson told Keilar he still feels “Stressed, nervous, shaky.”

“When we were coming in, I did notice that the winds were super gusty, the snow had blown over the runways, so coming in, it was routine, but it was noticeable that the runways were in kind of a weird condition,” Nelson said. “When we hit it was super hard. The plane went sideways, and I believe we skidded on our side and then flipped over on our back, where we ended up.”

It remains too early to determine what caused the plane to flip, though weather may have been a factor. The Meteorological Service of Canada reported blowing snow and winds at the airport reaching 32 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph. The temperature at the time was approximately 16.5 degrees.

Nelson was seated near the front of the plane, around row 10, he said. The crash “happened so fast,” Nelson said.

“I was just trying to hold on to everything,” Nelson said. “I was upside down.”

Nelson, along with the woman who sat next to him, were held upside down by their seat belts. He described “letting ourselves go” so that they fell to the ceiling of the plane, “which is a surreal feeling.” The passengers were then quickly ushered out of the plane.

“It smelled like jet fuel,” Nelson said. “Even now, I smell like jet fuel.”

When the plane settled, Nelson said there was a “fire ball.” After his video, that has been making its rounds on social media, concluded “there was another explosion” that the firefighters were able to get to quickly.

“It’s amazing that we’re still here,” Nelson said.

What People Are Saying

Captain CB Sullenberger, former US Airways captain, on CNN: “I’m very glad that the families of those involved got good news and that everyone survived. That’s a real testament to all the hard work that’s been done up until now.”

The FAA told Newsweek via email: “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.”

Delta on X: “YYZ was closed shortly after the incident occurred. Delta is working to connect with customers traveling from, to or through YYZ who should also monitor the status of their flight via the Fly Delta app.

“Endeavor Air is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines headquartered in Minneapolis.”

Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford, who represents Toronto which is the capital of Ontario’s province, on X: “I’m relieved there are no casualties after the incident at Toronto Pearson. Provincial officials are in contact with the airport and local authorities and will provide any help that’s needed.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on X: “I’m in touch with Delta after a flight taking off from MSP crash landed in Toronto this afternoon. Grateful to the first responders and professionals on the scene.””

The Association of Flight Attendants on X: “Our union is responding to an incident in Toronto with Delta Air Lines Endeavor Flight 4819. AFA crew were working this flight. Reports are there are no fatalities. Please do not speculate on this incident as everyone works to gather information and support those involved.”

What’s Next

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) told Newsweek via email that it is deploying a team of investigators following the crash. The TSB, an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences, said it will gather information and assess the incident.