The recent preliminary report from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada sheds light on the troubling circumstances that led to the crash of a Delta Air Lines aircraft in Toronto last month. Carrying 80 individuals, including 76 passengers and four crew members, the jet was revealed to have descended at a dangerously high speed before its ill-fated landing.
According to the report, the plane was dropping at a staggering rate of 1,100 feet per minute—almost double the threshold of 600 feet per minute that classifies a landing as "hard" within the guidelines of Endeavor Air, the Delta subsidiary operating the flight. A warning sounded just moments before the aircraft touched down, signaling the rapid descent.
Once the plane made contact with the runway, a component connected to the main landing gear on its right side failed, resulting in the jet rolling sharply to the right. This sequence of events led to the loss of the right wing, a burst of flames, and the aircraft coming to a stop inverted on the runway. Remarkably, all aboard managed to evacuate safely, though an explosion occurred near the left wing shortly after everyone exited.
Former FAA accident investigator Jeff Guzzetti opined, “It was descending much too fast,” indicating that the stress placed on the landing gear might have surpassed its designed limits. This accident serves as a critical reminder of the importance of adhering to safe operational standards in aviation.
According to the report, the plane was dropping at a staggering rate of 1,100 feet per minute—almost double the threshold of 600 feet per minute that classifies a landing as "hard" within the guidelines of Endeavor Air, the Delta subsidiary operating the flight. A warning sounded just moments before the aircraft touched down, signaling the rapid descent.
Once the plane made contact with the runway, a component connected to the main landing gear on its right side failed, resulting in the jet rolling sharply to the right. This sequence of events led to the loss of the right wing, a burst of flames, and the aircraft coming to a stop inverted on the runway. Remarkably, all aboard managed to evacuate safely, though an explosion occurred near the left wing shortly after everyone exited.
Former FAA accident investigator Jeff Guzzetti opined, “It was descending much too fast,” indicating that the stress placed on the landing gear might have surpassed its designed limits. This accident serves as a critical reminder of the importance of adhering to safe operational standards in aviation.
