Toronto plane crash: Delta Airlines passengers recall terrifying moments inside the overturned jet

Passengers who survived the Delta Airlines jet crash at Toronto Pearson International Airport recounted their harrowing ordeal. While most escaped serious injuries, the experience left them shaken and unsettled.

The Delta Airlines jet crash-landed and caught fire on the runway on Monday. All 80 passengers and crew on board survived. But 21 people, including a child, were hospitalised with injuries.

Toronto plane crash: Passengers recalls ordeal

Peter Koukov, one of the passengers, remembers the moment the plane slammed onto the runway. He said initially he didn’t anything was wrong, but soon the right wing scraped the ground, was torn off in a fireball and the aircraft rolled violently, reported CNN.


“We were upside down hanging like bats,” Koukov said. Though he managed to unbuckle himself and stand on the ceiling, some passengers were still trapped inside, dangling.

Others crashed onto the floor as they released their seatbelts.

“When we got finished, I was upside down, everybody else was there as well,” recalled fellow passenger John Nelson. Nelson and his seatmate scrambled toward an opening as people shouted for them to move.

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Though Nelson was relieved to be alive, the experience left him rattled.

Toronto plane crash: Survival instincts

For Peter Carlson, the only thought was survival. “it was cement and metal” in the upside-down plane. “The absolute initial feeling is just need to get out of this,” he told CNN partner CBC.

Outside, flames flickered, and black smoke billowed into the sky. Then, another explosion sent a fresh wave of panic.

Cold conditions make things worse

Air traffic control warned a nearby medical helicopter that people were already walking around the wreckage.

Inside, flight attendants urged passengers to leave belongings behind as they crawled toward open exit doors. Some still clung to their bags, ignoring the warnings. Evacuees had to jump several feet from the door frames onto the snow-covered ground, fire retardant spraying down around them.

Despite the chaos, passengers supported each other. Carlson told CBC, “Everyone on that plane suddenly became very close, in terms of how to help one another, how to console one another.”

Investigation Underway

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash, reviewing flight data, weather conditions, and eyewitness accounts, according to CNN. This accident marks the third major air incident in North America within a month, raising concerns over aviation safety.

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FAQs

1. What caused the crash?
The exact cause is still under investigation, but strong winds and snowy conditions may have played a role. Authorities are examining factors such as pilot actions, aircraft integrity, and landing conditions.


2. Were there any fatalities?
No, all 80 passengers and crew members survived. However, 21 people, including a child, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital.