A Delta flight crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday (February 17), leaving passengers hanging upside down by their seat belts. The incident occurred when the plane, operated by Endeavor Air, flipped upon landing. Pete Koukov, a passenger on the flight, described the harrowing experience on the TODAY show, saying, "I was looking down and just seeing like sparks and flames."

"I didn’t really notice anything wrong until the moment we hit the ground," Koukov said. "The wheels touched down ... I was in the window seat on the lookers left side, and then all of a sudden, I just remember being fully sideways."

"I was looking down and just seeing like sparks and flames and whatever was grinding against the ground. It happened pretty dang quick, and we were just upside down, hanging from our seat belts," he added.

Delta Air Lines reported that 21 passengers were initially hospitalized, but 19 have since been released. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, and most of the injuries were minor. Koukov praised the flight attendants for their organized evacuation, noting that passengers dismounted quickly and safely.

“Everyone got off in a pretty orderly fashion. It didn’t seem too insane once the plane had stopped and everyone realized, for the most part, they were OK because no one was seriously injured,” Koukov said.

The cause of the crash remains unclear, though wind gusts reached 40 mph at the time. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, with help from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, will investigate the incident.

RJ Harris