Plane crashes at major Canadian airport, cause under investigation
Multiple injuries have been reported after a plane crashed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Monday
Aviation and emergency officials are investigating and responding to a plane crash involving an American flight on the runway at Pearson International Airport on Monday.
The incident, which involved a Delta Air Lines Flight 4819 flying into Toronto from Minneapolis, took place while parts of southern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), were dealing with lake-effect snow and strong winds on Monday.
SEE ALSO: How one of Canada's busiest airports navigates tough winter weather
In an update posted to X, departures and arrivals at Pearson resumed as of 5 p.m. ET, after they were shut down temporarily following the crash.
Details are still emerging, but numerous photos posted on X show the plane had flipped on its back after crashing on the runway.
Multiple emergency services assisted with the incident, including Peel Regional Police and the Ornge Air Ambulance.
The number of reported injuries have changed as the story has progressed.
At one point, CBC News reported that at least 15 people have been injured, including three with critical injuries, citing officials from Peel Region paramedics who spoke to Radio-Canada.
However, in recent updates, a spokesperson from Pearson airport told CBC News there were 17 injuries, all taken to local area hospitals. However, the airport doesn't know if any of the injured were critically hurt.
But Delta Air Lines said on X, in an update from the airline Monday evening, that 18 people were injured. However, Peel paramedics said that total includes three family members who accompanied the injured to the hospital.
All of the passengers and crew have been accounted for.
Toronto Pearson Fire Chief Todd Aitken said during a news conference on Monday that there were no cross-wind conditions at the time of the incident and that people should refrain from speculating.
Snow squalls, gusting winds impacting region at the time of the incident
At the time of the landing attempt, the sustained winds were at 52 km/h, gusting as high as 65 km/h, from a 270-degree angle. The gusts are near the operational limits of the aircraft.
In a statement provided to The Weather Network, Capt. Tim Millar, who was not involved with the incident, said it will be some time before the Transportation Safety Board of Canada issues a preliminary report. However, at "first glance," the winds, visibility, and runway conditions will be closely examined to see if they were primary contributors to the incident.
"It would be good to take a look at the 'braking action' reports for that runway at the time of the crash," said Millar.
On a scale of 0 to 6, he noted braking action measures the effectiveness of the plane's wheel brakes on a runway, based off the conditions of the ramp. Such conditions include standing water, ice, snow and slush, among other examples.
Sudden wind shifts can destabilize the approach, and blowing snow on the surface can reduce the braking effectiveness.
Stay tuned as more details from the incident are released.
With files from CBC News, and Tyler Hamilton, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, and Nathan Howes, a digital journalist at The Weather Network.
Thumbnail courtesy of Mark Fitzpatrick via Storyful. Screenshot from the video that leads this article.