Air traffic control audio reacts to burning Delta plane on Toronto tarmac
Air traffic control audio released on Monday shows the tense moment officials realized that Delta Connection flight 4819 was burning on the tarmac of Toronto Pearson Airport.
The flight, which involved a CRJ-900 jet operated by Endeavor Air, crashed while landing at the Canadian airport at around 2:15 p.m. on Monday. 80 people, including 76 passengers and 4 crew members, were on board at the time.
No one was killed in the crash, though at least 18 injuries were reported, including three critical injuries. 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.
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Airport employees were heard reacting to the Delta Connection flight 4819 crash in Toronto on Monday. (Reuters/Cole Burston)
“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 at around 5 p.m.
Of the three critically injured patients, one was a four-year-old child taken to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The two other patients were taken by air ambulance to two different trauma centers in Toronto: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and St. Michael’s Hospital.
At least 18 people were injured in the crash at Toronto Pearson Airport. (X)
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 that 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.”
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An emergency responder works around an aircraft on a runway, after a plane crash at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, February 17, 2025. (REUTERS/Cole Burston)
Delta said its incident response team was also deployed to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to provide support.
The team consists of “specially trained” representatives tasked with providing support for customers and their loved ones. CEO of Endeavor Air’s leadership team, Jim Graham, was also heading to the airport “to ensure full cooperation with investigators,” Delta said.
Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto, made a statement on X to express her relief and thank the first responders.
“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.
A Delta Air Lines plane heading from Minneapolis to Toronto crashed at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Teresa Barbieri/The Canadian Press via AP)
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 U.S., where firefighters often double as paramedics, Canada keeps these roles separate, meaning EMS teams must arrive in large numbers to handle medical care.”
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Authorities are actively investigating the incident.
Fox News Digital’s Christopher Guly contributed to this report.
