TSB Releases Preliminary Report on Delta Endeavor Air CRJ-900 Accident at Toronto Pearson

Source: AirLive.net

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has released a preliminary report on the February 17 accident involving a Delta Endeavor Air CRJ-900 at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The regional jet struck the runway during landing and flipped upside down, leaving passengers “hanging like bats,” according to witness accounts.

The aircraft, operating as Delta Connection flight DL4819  from Minneapolis to Toronto, suffered a catastrophic landing gear failure upon touchdown. Investigators determined that the side-stay attached to the aircraft’s right main landing gear fractured, causing the gear to retract. As a result, the right-wing broke apart between the landing gear and fuselage. The impact led to a fiery crash, tearing off part of the wing and rolling the aircraft onto its back.

Despite the severity of the accident, all 80 passengers and crew survived. However, 21 individuals sustained injuries, including two who were seriously hurt. The report notes that when the wing detached, approximately 6,000 pounds of jet fuel spilled, igniting a fire and explosion.

Further complicating evacuation efforts, the cockpit door became jammed, preventing the pilots from using the normal exit. Instead, they had to climb out of an emergency hatch on the cockpit ceiling.

The TSB’s preliminary report does not identify the root cause of the landing gear failure or the crash itself. A full investigation is underway, and a final determination of probable cause is expected within the next 600 days.