Delta plane crash survivor recounts terrifying moments when plane flipped: ‘You start thinking about your loved ones’

A Florida man narrowly escaped death after his Delta Air Lines flight made a crash landing on an airport runway, flipping over and erupting into flames in an apocalyptic scene.

The aircraft was traveling from Minneapolis, Minnesota when it went belly-up seconds after landing at Canada’s Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday. 

Nate Richie was traveling from his home in southwest Florida when he boarded Delta Air Lines Flight DL4819 to Toronto, where his job is headquartered, in what Richie describes as “a very uneventful flight.”  

“You start thinking ‘this is it’,” Richie told Fox News Digital, sharing the moments that his life flashed before his eyes.

“You start thinking about your loved ones – my wife and children – and you just try to brace yourself.” 

The aircraft carrying 76 passengers and four crew members slammed into the snow-covered runway upon landing, flipping upside down and catching on fire.

Richie, who was sitting in a window seat at the time of the crash, recalls the terrifying moments after impact. 

“We were jolted and started to roll,” Richie told Fox News Digital. “[There were] explosions and fire on the opposite side of the plane as we started rolling, [with] things flying through the air and bodies being jolted around.” 

Video footage shows the aircraft sliding down the icy runway as the right wing is ripped off and flames begin to emerge from the rear.   

Richie suddenly found himself hanging upside down by his seat belt, listening to his fellow passengers’ screams as jet fuel poured over the windows and black smoke rose from the tail. 

As the aircraft skidded to a stop, Richie fell from his seat and began helping passengers find the nearest exit amid the chaos.

The plane was evacuated onto the snowy tarmac, with terrified passengers – many of whom did not even have time to grab their coats – awaiting help in frigid temperatures. 

“It was freezing, absolutely freezing on that runway,” Richie said. “Obviously, [we had] nothing to protect us. Our coats were in the overhead [bins] of the plane, so we were just exposed to the cold weather.” 

Despite the freezing temperatures, Richie expressed his relief that he was alive and well – despite the crash landing.

Firefighters directed passengers to a central meeting location where they boarded a shuttle and were taken to safety. 

Everyone on board survived. Twenty-one individuals were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, with all but one individual being released as of Wednesday morning, according to Delta.  

Richie was rushed to a hospital after he sustained injuries to his head and neck and was discharged later that night.

He then hit the road to drive from Toronto to his wife, children and grandchildren in Florida, where he hopes to begin the process of healing, both mentally and physically. 

“It’s a lot to process,” Richie told Fox News Digital. “I’m struggling mentally. I’m not sleeping, I’m not eating. [It’s] just a lot of emotions and I’m trying to unpack those. It’s really tough right now.”

Despite several plane crashes since the start of 2025, officials insist air travel remains the safest mode of transportation, with the statistical chance of being in a crash being too small to calculate, according to data from the National Safety Council. 

Federal Aviation Administration regulations require modern aircraft to be equipped with numerous safety features and technology, including the collision avoidance system “TCAS,” emergency beacons and fire extinguishers on the plane’s engines. 

Retired US Navy pilot Armen Kurdian credits fuselage engineering, emergency lighting and airplane seat construction with keeping passengers safe on Monday. 

“Airline seats must meet impact requirements defined by the FAA, which primarily focus on ensuring that during a crash, a passenger’s head impact with the seat in front of them does not exceed a Head Injury Criterion (HIC) value of 1,000 units, essentially meaning the seat design must minimize the risk of serious head injuries in a crash scenario,” Kurdian told Fox News Digital. 

Modern airplane seats are designed to withstand 16 times the force of gravity, ensuring that they do not come detached from the body of the airplane and injure passengers. 

“The last thing you want is seats coming loose, and then a mishmash of bodies and seats ricocheting inside the fuselage,” Kurdian said. 

While updates in aviation safety remain the primary reason each passenger walked away from Monday’s crash, Richie credits the plane’s seat belts and flight attendants for his survival. 

“It felt like the stewardesses did a great job taking action, giving instructions and directing people to get out of the plane,” Richie told Fox News Digital. 

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a social media post that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation into the crash. 

“I’ve been in touch with my counterpart in Canada to offer assistance and help with the investigation,” Duffy tweeted. 

Delta said that its primary focus is “taking care of those impacted,” with CEO Ed Bastian issuing a statement extending his sympathies to the victims.

“The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport,” Bastian’s statement read, in part. “I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on site.”

Monday’s crash follows a turbulent start of the year for air travel.

Last month, an American Airlines flight collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, DC’s Potomac River, killing all 67 people on board the two aircraft.

Days later, a medical transport helicopter crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood, killing all six passengers.

On Wednesday, Delta announced that each passenger involved in Toronto’s crash is being offered $30,000 in a “no strings attached” payment that “does not affect rights,” a company spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

Despite the monetary offer, Richie is just thankful to be alive as he begins the healing process. 

“Always hug your loved ones,” Richie said. “You might not see them again.”

Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.