On Monday, Pearson Airport was experiencing blowing snow and winds of 32 mph (51 kph) gusting to 40 mph (65 kph), according to the Meteorological Service of Canada. The temperature was about 16.5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 8.6 degrees Celsius).
The Delta flight was cleared to land at about 2.10pm Audio recordings show the control tower warned the pilots of a possible air flow “bump” on the approach.
“It sounds to me like a controller trying to be helpful, meaning the wind is going to give you a bumpy ride coming down, that you’re going to be up and down through the glide path,” said John Cox, CEO of aviation safety consulting firm Safety Operating Systems in St. Petersburg, Florida.
“So it was windy. But the airplanes are designed and certified to handle that,” Cox said. “The pilots are trained and experienced to handle that.”
The plane came to a rest at the intersection of Runways 23 and 15L, not far from the start of the runway. Just after the crash, tower controllers spoke with the crew of a medical helicopter that had just left Pearson and was returning to help.
“Just so you’re aware, there’s people outside walking around the aircraft there,” a controller said. “Yeah, we’ve got it. The aircraft is upside down and burning,” the medical helicopter pilot responded.