On February 19th, 2025, Delta Air Lines plane flying into Toronto, Canada flipped and crashed from a failed landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Passengers have described their amazement after they all survived. The plane was engulfed in flames before it even landed, causing the plane to flip due to losing its entire tail and wing. This event was very frightening for most passengers, as they were flipped upside down, strapped into their seats, while passengers were trying to evacuate onto the snowy runway.
As mentioned before, all passengers were left alive. Airlines say the cause of the flip was due to horrid weather conditions. They also give credit to the airline safety (seat belts). Gladly, the flight crew was quick enough to evacuate every passenger.
According to cbsnews.com The Delta Air Lines offered each passenger $30,000. There have already been lawsuits filed against the air lines and they will not likely be the last. Delta would be giving approximately $2.3 million in total if all 76 passengers took the offer, but one man said he thinks he deserves more.
In one of the 2 lawsuits filed the passenger said he was suspended upside down and also that he was “drenched in jet fuel.”
He stated that it caused him “severe emotional distress and mental anguish.” He also said that he suffered “significant injuries” to his head, neck, back, knees and face.
Oakmont freshman Zachary Antonucci explains his thoughts on the air lines and the pilot, “I think the pilot should not be able to fly anymore. Also, that every passenger should get compensation from Delta Airlines.”
Freshman Cody Johnson shares his thoughts on this, “I think they should fire the pilot, but I’m glad that everyone survived. I wish the best for everyone and their family that had to go through this.”
According to The New York Times, out of all 76 passengers on board, or 80 including crew members, 21 of them suffered injuries and were transported to the local hospitals, 19 later released. Pete Koukov, A professional skier from Colorado who was on the flight stated this, “The second that the wheels hit the ground, then everything happened” he then continues to say “The next thing I know, we are sideways.”
There were flames surrounding the plane as it was landing, then suddenly the plane was upside down.
According to bbc.com,a former pilot and a senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University, Marco Chan, and plane crash investigator Ismo Aaltonen, who both listened to the audio recording of the crash had things to say.
Chan said, “The plane appeared to have made a hard landing – involving an unusually high rate of descent.” He then added, “It seems to have touched the ground with one wheel first, which might have caused the landing gear to collapse”. It was a breath-taking accident, but also a miracle that not one single person lost a life.
Oakmont freshman Cody Collette feels stress from the recent mishap, as he said,“It’s unfortunate that it happened. It’s scary because that could be me next time I go on a plane.” He continued, “Matter of fact, I’m never going on a plane again.”
