Former FAA Official Reveals Two Key Factors in Toronto Plane Crash That Likely Saved Everyone's Lives

Two factors were key in preventing the Delta Air Lines plane that flipped over in Toronto from becoming a tragedy, according to an aviation expert.

Concretely, David Soucie, a safety analyst and former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspector, told CNN that advancements in aircraft design and seat safety avoided a "much worse" outcome for the 80 people who were in the plane.

"Everything that could go wrong went wrong, yet 80 people survived the accident," Soucie said. Overall, 18 people were injured in the crash, with three in critical but non-life-threatening condition.

The expert compared the crash at Toronto Pearson with one in Denver that took place in 1987, when 28 people died after a DC-9 aircraft flipped over in similar circumstances.

Soucie explained that back then the wing didn't break, something that ended up being harmful. "You don't want that wing ripping the fuselage in half," he said, adding that it's better for it to break loose "as it's supposed to let that aircraft slowly come to a stop and that really saved a lot of lives."

The plane, Delta Flight 4819, had departed from Minneapolis at 11:47 a.m., local time. It was operated by Endeavor Air, Delta's regional subsidiary. Fire engines were able to quickly put out a fire that ignited after the crash. "We were upside down hanging like bats," passenger Peter Koukov told press.

Flight attendants helped passengers get off the aircraft, with one passenger recording the moment. "Drop everything, now," a flight attendant can be heard saying as passengers exit the flipped plane. The passenger manages to exit safely while expressing disbelief about the situation: "Holy f---," he says repeatedly.