Wed Feb 19 04:58:26 UTC 2025: ## Delta Jet Catches Fire, Flips Over on Toronto Landing; All Survive

**Toronto, ON** – A Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis to Toronto Pearson International Airport miraculously avoided fatalities after a hard landing resulted in a fiery crash Monday afternoon. The Mitsubishi CRJ-900, carrying 80 passengers and crew, skidded, caught fire, and flipped upside down on the runway. While 21 passengers suffered injuries, all but two have since been released from the hospital.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is leading the investigation into the incident, assisted by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Investigators are examining several factors, including weather conditions (blowing snow and 32 mph winds gusting to 40 mph), pilot actions, and potential mechanical failure of the landing gear. Experts are scrutinizing cockpit voice and flight data recorders retrieved from the wreckage. Initial analysis suggests the plane may have landed too hard, potentially without proper flaring.

Witnesses and video footage show the plane’s right wing shearing off upon impact, followed by a fire. Aviation experts, including commercial pilots and university professors, have offered preliminary theories, highlighting the possibility of human error, inadequate flaring (a maneuver to slow descent), and a review of the pilots’ actions and ground crew staffing levels and their fatigue. However, the TSB emphasizes it is too early to determine the cause of the accident.

Despite the severity of the crash, the survival of all on board is being attributed to modern safety improvements in aircraft design (including wings designed to detach to prevent explosions), rigorous crew training, and impact-resistant seats.

The incident follows several other recent major aviation accidents in North America, raising concerns, although aviation experts stress that air travel remains exceptionally safe compared to other forms of transportation. One safety consultant expressed concern over potential FAA budget cuts that could compromise safety standards. The investigation is ongoing, and the TSB anticipates the process will take some time.

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