Cranes lift the wreckage of Delta Flight 4819 from the runway onto a truck at Toronto Pearson International Airport, in Mississauga on Feb. 19.Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press
Delta Air Lines has released information about the pilots at the controls of the Mitsubishi CRJ900 that crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday in an attempt to correct what it describes as false assertions on social media and in some news reports.
The carrier said in a statement on Friday morning both pilots are qualified for their jobs and certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, disputing internet posts that, without any basis, say the crew members were not properly licensed and were hired to fulfill diversity policies at the Atlanta-based airline. Delta did not name the pilots.
Delta flight 4819, operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air, crash-landed on Monday, losing a wing and its tail in fiery slide before halting upside down. There were no fatalities but 21 people were treated at hospital and released this week. Officials credit the crew, first responders and passengers with safely getting all 76 passengers off the plane.
Fact check: Fake visuals of Delta airplane crash in Toronto circulate online
The airline, which has previously refused to address questions about the pilots, said in a statement the captain of the jet was hired by an Endeavor Air predecessor airline in 2007. He has served as captain and in pilot training and safety roles.
“Assertions that he failed training events are false,” Delta said. “Assertions that he failed to flow into a pilot position at Delta Air Lines due to training failures are also false.”
The first officer of the flight was hired 13 months ago and finished training in April, Delta said. She has flight experience that exceeds U.S. regulations for her role. “Assertions that she failed training events are false,” Delta said.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents most commercial pilots in Canada and the United States, issued a similar statement Friday listing the pilots’ qualifications. All pilots flying in scheduled airline operations are trained and evaluated to the same standard, regardless of gender or background, the union said.
“Engaging in speculation, especially on social media, only serves to hamper and undermine an ongoing investigation. ALPA continues to recommend against publicly speculating on this accident.”
A video of the plane’s approach and crash, filmed from an aircraft on a taxiway next to the runway, shows the right wing striking the tarmac and breaking off on touch-down, as fuel explodes and the fuselage barrels down the runway.
Survivors of past air disasters offer support after Delta crash at Toronto Pearson airport
Officials have yet to say why the plane crashed. Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada are leading the probe. The TSB said on Friday morning that it has started the analysis of the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder. The wreck is being examined at a hangar at the airport.
Editor's note: Video contains profanity. A passenger on the Delta plane that crashed in Toronto on Monday captured video as they evacuated and were then confronted by the scene of the upside down jet.
The Globe and Mail
The airport received 50 centimetres of snow in the days before the crash. Conditions were cold, windy and clear on Monday afternoon, when the crash occurred.
Experts who have seen the video say it shows the Bombardier-made aircraft landed hard and flat, with the nose unusually level with the tarmac. In aviation parlance, this is known as a lack of flare.
“The aircraft hit the runway hard,” said David McNair, a former investigator with the TSB. “The aircraft didn’t flare, which is surprising.”
Ed Bastian, Delta’s chief executive officer, said the video was “horrifying” to watch. In a televised interview on Wednesday, he said the pilots were experienced and familiar with winter weather. “All these pilots train for these conditions,” Mr. Bastian said.