A Delta Airlines plane that crash-landed upside down at Toronto’s Pearson Airport last month was descending at an alarmingly high speed when its right landing gear collapsed, according to a preliminary investigation released on Thursday.
High-Speed Descent and Gear Failure Led to Crash
The February 17 incident, which left multiple passengers hospitalized but resulted in no fatalities, occurred amid high winds and freezing temperatures at the airport. Investigators revealed that the aircraft was approaching the runway at 155 mph when disaster struck.
The report confirmed that as the aircraft touched down, its right main landing gear failed, causing the plane to flip over in a fraction of a second.
“At touchdown, the following occurred: the side-stay attached to the right main landing gear fractured, the landing gear folded into the retracted position, the wing root fractured between the fuselage and the landing gear, and the wing detached from the fuselage, releasing a cloud of jet fuel, which caught fire,” the report stated.
However, investigators are still examining the fracture surfaces to determine the exact sequence of these events.
Flight Details: Delta Aircraft From Minneapolis
The aircraft, a Bombardier CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900), was operated by Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta Airlines. It was en route from Minneapolis to Toronto with 76 passengers, two flight crew members, and two cabin crew members on board.
The first officer, who was in control of the aircraft at the time of the crash, had 1,422 total flight hours, including 418.7 hours on the same aircraft type. The captain, serving as the pilot monitoring the flight, had 3,570 total flight hours, with 764 hours on the Bombardier jet.
Ongoing Investigation Into the Delta plane crash
While the preliminary findings indicate that a landing gear failure triggered the accident, the final cause remains undetermined. Further examination of the fractured components is expected to shed more light on the mechanical failure that led to the dramatic crash-landing.
Despite the fiery aftermath, swift emergency response ensured that all passengers and crew members were safely evacuated. Authorities continue to assess whether additional safety protocols or design modifications are necessary to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving WORLD of technology.