Surveillance video images purportedly capturing the landing accident at Toronto involving an MHIRJ CRJ900 appear to indicate the regional jet touched down hard, with fire erupting almost immediately.
Video images circulating on social media appear to show the moment of touchdown, having been taken around the threshold of runway 23. The aircraft seems to exhibit little flare before runway contact.
The Endeavor Air CRJ900, operating a Delta Connection service from Minneapolis, rolled to the right and inverted during the crash sequence but all 80 occupants – comprising 76 passengers and four crew members – survived.
Twenty-one injured passengers were transported to hospital, says Delta Air Lines, the parent company of Endeavor. Nineteen have since been released, says Delta.
Strong winds and blowing snow were present at the time of landing.
While being cleared for landing, the crew had been informed of wind from 270° at 23kt, gusting to 33kt, according to air-ground transmissions archived by LiveATC.
The tower controller also appears to inform the crew that they “might get a slight bump” in the ILS glidepath owing to the presence of another aircraft on the ground “in front of [the antenna]”.
Whether this is relevant to the accident has yet to be determined. At least two executive jets were waiting on taxiways near the threshold of runway 23 as the CRJ900 was on final approach.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada has deployed a team to investigate the 17 February accident at Toronto’s Pearson international airport.
It will lead the inquiry, while the US National Transportation Safety Board says it is assigning personnel to support the Canadian probe.
Delta says it is lending “full co-operation” to the investigation, adding that its “primary focus” is the care of those affected.
“I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on site,” says Delta chief Ed Bastian.
