Delta Air Lines has revealed information about the crew on board a flight from Minneapolis that crashed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
Officials say the captain was hired by Mesaba Airlines in October 2007, which merged with Pinnacle Airlines in 2012 to form Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta. Additionally, he has served as an active duty captain and in pilot training and flight safety capacities.
Delta says her flight experience “exceeded the minimum requirements” set by federal regulations.
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Delta added that claims spreading online alleging the captain and first officer had failed training events were false, and both crew members are Federal Aviation Administration certified for their positions.
What caused Monday’s crash remains under investigation by the Canadian Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration. On Tuesday, officials confirmed that the aircraft’s black box has been recovered.
The plane operated by Endeavor Air struck the landing strip as it arrived at Toronto Airport at about 1:15 p.m. CST, according to Delta. Images and video of the crash showed the CRJ-900 aircraft catching fire when it hit the pavement and proceeding to turn sideways while sliding across the airfield, losing its tail and both wings along the way.
On Wednesday, a Delta spokesperson said the airline is offering $30,000 to passengers who were aboard the flight. A spokesperson for the company says the Delta Care Team is telling passengers that “this gesture has no strings attached and does not affect rights.”
As of Thursday, all 21 passengers injured in the crash have been released from the hospital. All of the 80 people on board Flight 4819 — 76 passengers and four crew members — survived the fiery crash.
Cole Premo and
Kris Van Cleave
contributed to this report.
