“I thought it was going to ignite.”
Those were the words Peter Carlson, a paramedic from Minnesota on board the Delta Air Lines flight that crashed on Monday, told Global News.
Passengers aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, which made an emergency crash-landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, have shared their intense and emotional experiences.
The flight, travelling from Minneapolis to Toronto, had no fatalities but resulted in 21 injuries, including a child in critical condition.
Many passengers, still in shock, have expressed relief at their survival and gratitude for the emergency response that helped them escape the plane.
“It was a forceful landing. It felt like we dropped quickly,” Carlson said.
The crash left him and the other 79 passengers upside-down in their seats. “I found myself upside-down, wondering if I was OK. In the moment you’re just trying to understand what happened,” he explained.
As a paramedic, Carlson said his training kicked in. “You snap into it. ‘Am I OK? Am I alive? Are my arms OK? Do my legs work?’”
“We tried to immediately help people around us,” he added.
Many videos circulating on social media shows the plane bursting into flames upon landing.
From inside the cabin, Carlson described the smell of gasoline filling the cabin. “I smelled gas and thought it’s going to ignite,” he recalled.
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“It was a long pause before I could even begin to process what was happening. I quickly sent a message to my wife and kids, telling them I love them.”
Despite the chaos, passengers remained calm enough to help others. “We were helping people out of their seats while bags were falling down on us. It was chaotic, but everyone was seat-belted in, and that helped.”
‘Minnesota band reflects on narrow escape’
As the scene unfolded, other passengers waiting to board the flight back to Minnesota said they were shocked to find out what happened.
A Minnesota-based band, Yam Haus, who were in Toronto for a recording session, say their flight back home was cancelled after the airport shut down.
Zach Beinlich, one of the band members, was stunned when he realized the flight he was supposed to board had crashed. “A guy next to us showed us his phone and said a plane crashed. Our plane was leaving at 2:45. That would have been our plane,” Beinlich said.
In an interview with Global News, he described the shock he felt when calling his mother, who had seen the news. “She was in tears because she just saw, ‘Minneapolis Toronto plane crash,’ so her mind immediately went to the worst scenario,” Beinlich said.
Fellow band member Jake Felstow added, “It could have been worse. I’m just grateful we’re safe and no one was killed.”
The crash has left many passengers reflecting on their close call. “It’s a good reminder to always wear your seatbelt,” Beinlich said.
Toronto Pearson International Airport has since resumed normal operations, and authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
‘Am I alive?’: Passengers on frightening experiences of Delta crash landing in Toronto
