On February 17, a Delta Airlines flight carrying 76 passengers and four crew members experienced a dramatic accident as it attempted to land at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.
Despite the chaos that ensued—including the aircraft flipping upside-down during the landing—the outcome was nothing short of miraculous: all 80 people onboard survived, although 18 sustained injuries. One of those survivors, John Nelson, has since spoken to CNN about his experience, providing a firsthand account of the terrifying events that unfolded during the flight.
In this article, we delve into John Nelson’s recollections, the sequence of events during the crash, the emergency response that saved lives, and the public reaction to what many are calling a miracle. We’ll explore the details of that fateful flight from Minneapolis to Toronto and reflect on the lessons learned about aviation safety, crisis management, and the strength of the human spirit.
John Nelson described the flight as a routine journey from Minneapolis to Toronto. “It was a typical flight,” he recalled. However, even before the flight reached its destination, Nelson began to notice that something was off. “We were coming in, and I did notice the winds were super gusty,” he explained. Nelson observed that the runway conditions seemed unusual due to snow that had been blown over by the strong winds. What began as a normal landing gradually turned into an ordeal that none of the passengers could have anticipated.
As the aircraft approached Toronto Pearson International Airport, the combination of gusty winds and snowy runway conditions created a precarious situation. Nelson noted that although the landing seemed routine at first, the unusual state of the runways was a clear signal that the weather was playing havoc with the flight’s safety. This early warning would soon become a critical part of the crash’s unfolding story
