On March 20, 2025, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada released a preliminary report on the February crash-landing of a Delta Air Lines regional jet at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The report highlights a series of events that led to the accident, in which the aircraft flipped over after a hard landing.
Flight DL4819, a CRJ900 operated by Delta's Endeavor Air subsidiary, was en route from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport when a safety warning system alerted the crew of a rapid descent shortly before landing. Despite the severity of the impact, all 80 people on board survived, though nearly two dozen passengers sustained injuries.
READ: In 2025, there have been three incidents involving CRJ aircraft operated by major U.S. airlines
According to the TSB (see video below) the aircraft struck the runway at a descent rate 50% higher than what its landing gear was designed to absorb. The sink rate warning activated less than three seconds before touchdown, said TSB investigator Ken Webster, who is leading the probe.
U.S. aviation safety expert John Cox explained that the flight was proceeding normally until it encountered a gust of wind at approximately 153 feet above ground level during its approach to Pearson Airport. The first officer, who had 1,422 total flight hours, including 419 hours on the CRJ, correctly reduced power in response. However, the gust dissipated about four seconds before touchdown, causing a sudden drop in airspeed. The pilots did not react by increasing power or adjusting pitch, leading to the hard landing.
"It's a bad feeling as a pilot—you can feel the airplane start to come out from under you. It's miserable," Cox said. "And you have to take action in a hurry to get that sorted out. They did not."
Cox also noted that it remains unclear why the captain, who had worked for Endeavor Air since 2007 with 3,570 total flight hours, did not take corrective action to counter the plane's excessive descent rate.
The TSB report states that the aircraft’s landing gear is designed to absorb a descent rate of 12 feet per second, yet the jet was descending at over 18 feet per second upon touchdown.
Weather conditions at the time of the incident included a gusting crosswind and blowing snow, according to data from FlightRadar24. While these conditions were challenging, Cox asserted that they were well within the handling capabilities of a professional flight crew.
Delta declined to comment on the preliminary findings, which do not assign blame or determine the root cause of the crash. Under international air crash investigation protocols, a final report with a detailed analysis is expected within a year.
Investigator Webster confirmed that the final TSB report would provide further insight into the reasons behind the accident.
Video footage of the incident, which circulated widely on social media, showed the aircraft flipping over upon landing and missing its right wing. The report also noted that some passengers struggled to release their seatbelt buckles while inverted, leading to additional injuries as they fell onto the cabin ceiling.
"Some injuries sustained by passengers occurred when they unbuckled their safety belts and fell to the ceiling," the report stated. "The TSB is not aware of any seatbelt or seat failures during the accident."
This event highlights the importance of adherence to safety protocols and pilot decision-making during adverse weather conditions. The findings of the final report will be critical in determining potential safety improvements to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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