A strange passenger experience in Toronto

Delta Airline’s Bombardier CRJ900 crash-landed during the past week, tipped over and skidded down the runway, its fuel-laden right wing broke off, leaving behind a massive inferno. The plane continued skidding and rolled over. The aircraft arrived at the airport in Toronto from the US city of Minneapolis and was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members.

The Delta flight skidded along the runway in flames before flipping over and coming to a dramatic halt upside down, losing its tail and an entire wing in the process. On board were about 80 people who were then left hanging upside down while still strapped to their seats, before they scrambled over luggage to escape onto the snowy runway. No deaths have been reported after the incident, and it is under investigation.

The plane ended up in a stable position – albeit upside down. But everyone survived, thanks in part to brawny seats that can withstand extreme force. Passengers have described their amazement after most of them escaped unscathed from that plane.

Relating the incident, a passenger was reported to have told broadcaster CBC it was “a very forceful event”, recalling the sound of “concrete and metal” at the moment of impact. The passenger and others on board were suspended upside down in their seats and had to release themselves onto the cabin ceiling before leaving the inverted aircraft.

An aviation expert has stated that most modern commercial aircraft are required to have what’s known as 16G seats, meaning they can withstand 16 times the force of gravity. The seats include a humble yet critical safety feature: life-saving seat belts. Consequently, the expert stated, these seats are not specifically designed for comfort but designed for durability in case of an accident. Had the passengers been without the seat belts, they surely would have been thrown around and would have sustained a lot more injuries, another expert said.

According to various other aviation industry experts, this crash, had it occurred a few decades ago, the outcome might have been far grimmer. What’s changed, they said, is that all commercial aircraft have seats that are locked in place on the tracks as part of the fuselage that can withstand up to 16 Gs of impact. Another reason is that advances in fire-retardant material  have improved the chances of passengers making it, if they follow directions. And, in this incident, the wing breaking free kept the fire out of the passenger cabin.

While credit will be given to high-tech engineering for likely helping save lives, the two flight attendants on this flight had never landed a plane upside down and deserve some credit. However, the duo had trained for many scenarios, including evacuating passengers within 90 seconds. Imagine the challenging scenario that they faced with dozens of passengers being strapped in their seats and dangling upside down like bats, yet the crew managed to evacuate the entire plane in less than 90 seconds. Many aviation training schools will very likely consider such survival training scenarios in their syllabuses.

The idea of a flight attendant began in the 1920s and 1930s, a time when commercial aviation was still in its infancy. Then, attendants, who were known as “stewards,” were typically young men who handled baggage, served food, and provided basic safety instructions. However, in 1930, Ellen Church, a trained registered nurse and licensed pilot, approached Boeing Air Transport (which later became United Airlines) with a revolutionary idea: to employ women as cabin attendants. Church argued that having nurses on board would make passengers feel safer, especially given the turbulence and unpredictability of early flights. Her proposal was accepted, and she became the first official stewardess in the history of aviation. Alongside seven other women, she formed the first team of female flight attendants, paving the way for future generations. So, flight attendants are responsible for much more than picking up trash and serving sodas. They are trained professionals responsible for the safety of the passengers. And on this flight, they did a phenomenal job, experts have said.

Despite recent events, aviation experts maintain that flying remains an extremely safe mode of transportation. Experts assure that aviation remains extremely safe though the recent disasters have raised concerns about flying. Though there have been several major deadly aviation disasters this year, air travel is the absolute safest form of transportation, according to a 2024 Transportation Statistics Report from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

“Transportation incidents for all modes claimed 44,546 lives in 2022, of which all but 2,032 involved highway motor vehicles. Preliminary estimates for 2023 suggest a further decline in fatalities,” the report states. “There were no deaths from crashes on large commercial airlines in 2023, but several hundred deaths occurred in crashes in general aviation, commuter air, and air taxi services.” The report says.

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