Former FAA admin suggests ‘very rare’ events were at play in Delta plane flip – Washington Examiner
A former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official suggested that “very rare” weather and wind conditions likely caused a Delta Air Lines plane to flip upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The incident involved a CRJ-900 jet, Delta Connection Flight 4819, which caught fire instantly after touching down. The aircraft flipped and lost both wings. Dan Elwell, the former FAA Deputy Administrator, noted that snowy and icy runway conditions may have contributed, and the recent crash occurred shortly after another incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.Elwell explained that while it is uncommon, severe gusts at the moment of touchdown can lead to loss of control, potentially causing the plane to flip. Despite the incident, Delta reported that most injured passengers had been released from hospitals, and FAA officials confirmed that recent staff firings would not compromise airline safety. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has initiated incentives to retain veteran air traffic controllers as part of efforts to enhance air travel safety.
Former FAA admin suggests ‘very rare’ events were at play in Delta plane flip
A former Federal Aviation Administration official assessed that a “very rare” combination of weather and wind was likely to blame for Monday’s Delta Air Lines plane crash, in which an aircraft flipped as it was landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.
Video of the Delta Connection Flight 4819, which arrived from Minneapolis, Minnesota, showed the CRJ-900 jet catching fire right after touching down on the runway. The aircraft then flipped and lost both wings. Former Deputy Administrator Dan Elwell said the runway appeared snowy and icy and that this crash occurrence so soon after the plane crash near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport could be the result of “happenstance.”
🔴 A newly released video shows the exact moment of the impact of Delta Connection flight 4819 at YYZ
by airmainengineer#deltaairlines #avgeek #accident pic.twitter.com/2BqnqPyxVn
— Airways Magazine (@airwaysmagazine) February 18, 2025
“But with gusty conditions, it is possible but very rare to get a severe gust right at touch down and for the pilot to correct from that gust, if the gust was blowing them perhaps off the runway,” Elwell explained on Fox News’s Fox & Friends. “And that airplane, with the wings in the back of the fuselage, if you overcorrect and you’re very close to the ground or in the flare, it’s possible to dig the wing in, and when that happens, it could very easily flip the aircraft. But again, it’s a very rare combination of weather and wind events, but that’s the likely culprit there.”
Delta confirmed that as of Tuesday morning, 19 out of the 21 injured passengers have been released from local hospitals.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that less than 400 of the 45,000 employees at the FAA have been fired since President Donald Trump took office. Duffy also confirmed that no air traffic controllers or critical safety personnel were a part of these firings.
Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system. In less than four weeks, we have already begun the process and are engaging the smartest minds in the entire world.
Here’s the… https://t.co/LCL1dswC2T
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 18, 2025
Elwell explained that these firings are going to have “zero” effect on the safety of airlines, comparing these firings to when the FAA keeps those responsible for airline safety when a government shutdown occurs.
Earlier this month, Duffy announced that veteran air traffic controllers would be offered incentives, such as bonuses, to stay on board as the nation’s air travel system is improved. Duffy described these incentives as a way to “pay them more, give them a bonus, keep them on the job, make the system safer, alleviate the pressure on the controllers.”
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