Aviation experts are examining gusty winds and potential landing gear issues as possible factors in the Delta Air Lines crash at Toronto Pearson Airport, which left 21 people injured on Monday.
Kit Darby, a veteran commercial flight instructor and aviation consultant, reviewed footage of Delta flight 4819 and airport weather data, concluding that a combination of wind conditions and mechanical issues may have led to the plane’s right wingtip striking the ground, causing it to flip onto its roof and slide down the runway.
Darby explained that planes typically “flare” before landing, tilting their nose up to slow the rate of descent. However, video evidence suggests this did not happen. He noted that variable wind gusts at Pearson may have caused sudden instability in the moments before touchdown.
“The max wind at the time was near the aircraft limits had it been directly from the side,” Darby said, adding that while the wind was coming at an angle, a strong gust at the moment of landing could have made the aircraft uncontrollable.
On Tuesday, Toronto Pearson CEO Deborah Flint declined to speculate on the cause of the crash, stating that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation were actively investigating the incident.
TSB official Ken Webster confirmed that the Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft, operated by Endeavor Air, made impact with the runway during landing, resulting in parts of the aircraft separating and igniting a fire. The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder (“black box”) have been sent to a lab for analysis.
Renowned aviation safety analyst Gregory Feith also reviewed footage and noted the aircraft landed in a flat attitude with a slight right-wing tilt, without proper deceleration. He suggested that the right wing disintegrated upon impact, causing the aircraft to roll over.
Darby emphasized that while the landing gear is built to withstand hard landings, the sequence of events after touchdown suggests a mechanical failure, a blown tire, or excessive banking may have contributed to the crash.
Investigators are now focused on analyzing flight data, pilot interviews, and examining the aircraft’s landing mechanism to determine what exactly went wrong in the final moments of the flight.