According to a preliminary report from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board, a Delta Air Lines regional jet experienced a landing gear support failure as it landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport in February, causing the plane to flip upside down. The CRJ-900, operated by Endeavor Airlines as Delta Connection Flight 4819 from Minneapolis to Toronto, crashed in flames, tearing off a wing and rolling the plane over. All 80 passengers and crew survived, with 21 injured, including two seriously.
Upon touchdown, investigators found that the side-stay attached to the aircraft’s right main landing gear fractured, causing the gear to retract and the right wing to break between the landing gear and fuselage. The detachment of the wing led to the spraying of 6,000 pounds of jet fuel, resulting in a fire and explosion. The cockpit door was jammed shut, forcing the pilots to exit through an emergency hatch on the ceiling.
The preliminary report does not specify the cause of the crash or the broken landing gear. An official determination could take up to 600 days. Investigators noted that less than three seconds before touchdown, an audible alarm warned pilots of a rapid descent and the plane banked to the right. It hit the runway descending rapidly, tilted 7.5 degrees to the right.
No obvious pre-existing malfunctions were noted in the flight controls. Investigators replicated several approaches and landings in a CRJ-900 simulator. Future examinations will focus on the wing’s metal composition, landing gear and wing certification, landing techniques, pilot training, evacuation procedures, and flight attendant training.
“For everyone at Endeavor Air and Delta, nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and our people,” Delta Air Lines stated.
— news from CNN