On February 18, Delta Air Lines reported that 19 out of 21 passengers taken to local hospitals following an incident in Toronto the day before have been discharged as authorities investigate why the regional jet overturned during landing.
Deborah Flint, the CEO of Greater Toronto Airports, stated in a press conference that the two remaining hospitalized passengers did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
Appreciating the safety measures, Flint commended the flight crew and first responders, emphasizing the importance of thorough safety checks.
A joint investigation by Canada's Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Aviation Administration is underway to determine the cause of the incident involving the Delta Air Lines' Endeavor Air subsidiary's CRJ900 aircraft flipping over at Toronto's Pearson Airport.
Details regarding the circumstances leading to the incident are still unclear as air crashes typically result from multiple factors.
The CRJ900, a 16-year-old aircraft manufactured by Bombardier in Canada and powered by GE Aerospace engines, has a seating capacity of up to 90 passengers. Video footage following the accident revealed that at least one wing had detached from the plane.
Toronto Pearson Airport mentioned challenges posed by strong winds and cold temperatures as airlines worked to recover following a recent snowstorm that deposited over 22 cm (8.6 inches) of snow.
The wreckage will remain at the airport for approximately 48 hours, leading to the closure of two runways at Pearson until it is cleared, as Flint confirmed.
FlightRadar24 data indicated that the Delta flight landed in Toronto at 2:13 p.m. (1913 GMT) after an 86-minute journey, coming to a stop close to the intersection of runway 23 and runway 15.
The prevailing weather conditions during the incident included "gusting crosswind and blowing snow," as reported by the flight tracking website.