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Air traffic control reacts to ‘upside down and burning’ Toronto Delta flight in newly released audio

DO NOT CROP WATERMARK Delta flight flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport -- Minnesota to Toronto. Feb 17, 2025 CREDIT: NewsNation

The flight, a CRJ-900 jet operated by Endeavor Air, crashed while landing at the Canadian airport around 2:15 p.m. Monday. Eighty people, including 76 passengers and four crew members, were on board.

No one was killed in the crash, though at least 18 injuries were reported, including three critical ones. At roughly 2:13 p.m., an official was heard saying, “This airplane just crashed.”

“Just so you’re aware, there’s people also walking around the aircraft there,” an observer says moments later.

“Yeah, we’ve got it,” a man is heard responding. “The aircraft there’s upside down and burning.”

The flight left Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport earlier that day. Operations at Toronto Pearson Airport paused in the wake of the incident, though departures and arrivals resumed around 5 p.m.

Of the three critically injured flyers, one was a 4-year-old child taken to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The two others were taken by air ambulance to two different trauma centers in Toronto: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and St. Michael’s Hospital.

Peel Regional Paramedic Services superintendent Lawrence Saindon told Fox News Digital that among the critical injuries, none were life-threatening.

“The remaining ones are all walking wounded, with cuts and scrapes, nothing serious at all,” Saindon said.

In a statement on X, Delta said its primary focus is “taking care of those impacted,” and CEO Ed Bastian issued a statement expressing sympathy for all affected by the incident.

“The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport,” Bastian’s statement read, in part. “I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on site.”

Delta said its incident response team was also deployed to Toronto Pearson International Airport to provide support.

The team consists of “specially trained” representatives tasked with providing support for customers and their loved ones. The CEO of Endeavor Air’s leadership team, Jim Graham, was also heading to the airport “to ensure full cooperation with investigators,” Delta said.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow made a statement on X to express her relief and thank the first responders.

The team consists of “specially trained” representatives tasked with providing support for customers and their loved ones. The CEO of Endeavor Air’s leadership team, Jim Graham, was also heading to the airport “to ensure full cooperation with investigators,” Delta said.

“I’m relieved to learn that all passengers and crew are accounted for after today’s plane crash at Toronto Pearson. Thank you to the first responders, crew and airport staff for their quick actions and commitment to keeping everyone safe. For more updates, follow @torontopearson,” Chow wrote.

Emergency response expert Jason Pack told Fox News Digital that the incident highlights how Canadian officials react differently in these situations than Americans.

“Canada’s emergency response system shares many similarities with other countries, but also key differences in how first responders work together,” Pack noted, adding that Canada’s airport firefighters are “highly specialized” in aircraft emergencies.

“[Canadian] paramedics use a structured triage system to sort and transport patients to trauma centers,” Pack added. “However, unlike in the US, where firefighters often double as paramedics, Canada keeps these roles separate, meaning EMS teams must arrive in large numbers to handle medical care.”

Authorities are actively investigating the incident.

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