Investigation of Delta Flight 4819 Focuses on Wing Structure, Personnel Activities – FlyerTalk
A preliminary report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada says the right main landing gear collapsed on Delta Flight 4819, resulting in the accident resulting in the aircraft inverting.
Early reports on what caused Delta Flight 4819 to crash suggest it may have started with the aircraft’s right main landing gear.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released their initial report on the incident detailing the events of the day on Thursday, March 20, 2024.
Report States Landing Gear Fractured, Leading to Chain of Events
In the report, the TSB outlined the flight’s rate of descent as it prepared for landing. The trouble truly started when the aircraft touched down – that’s when they say the right main landing gear broke, leading to the crash that left the CRJ-900 inverted.
“The side-stay that is attached to the right MLG fractured, the landing gear folded into the retracted position, the wing root fractured between the fuselage and the landing gear, and the wing detached from the fuselage, releasing a cloud of jet fuel, which caught fire,” the report reads. “The exact sequence of these events is still to be determined by further examination of the fracture surfaces.”
When the aircraft came to a stop, the TSB notes that everyone was able to evacuate. Of those aboard, 21 were injured, with two receiving “serious injuries” from the flight. The two pilots were unable to leave from the cockpit door, and had to exit using the overhead emergency hatch with the help of passengers.
Passengers were able to exit from a forward exit door and one overwing exit. Firefighters only entered the aircraft once all the passengers had evacuated. During their entry, an explosion occurred outside of the aircraft at the left wing root. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
The preliminary report falls short of noting a definitive cause for the accident. Instead, the board says the next steps of their investigation will focus on several areas, including the metallurgical examination of the wing structure, certification of the landing gear and wing structure, landing techniques, hard landings, and pilot training; and organizational and management factors.
The board credited several partners, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board for their assistance.
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Feature image courtesy: Peel Regional Police via the Transportation Safety Board of Canada
