At around 2 pm on Monday, February 17th, a passenger jet with 80 people crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport in high winds. The airport was closed for hours, and some runways will stay closed for days, reducing capacity. Fortunately, thanks to the quick response of the fire crews and the professionalism of the aircraft’s crew, there were no fatalities. Social media buzzed with videos and speculation about the crash. Similar to the Air France flight 358 incident two decades ago, Toronto Pearson drew global attention for unfortunate reasons.
What were the causes of this accident?
The Canadian Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause. It may involve wind shear, icing, mechanical failure, or human factors. An issue under consideration is the presence of buildings on the approach to and west of the runway. Did mechanical turbulence caused by wind interacting with these buildings affect the runway? What about thermals from heating and emissions in the built-up area? The smaller the aircraft, the greater the effect of turbulence. Was mental stress caused by Toronto Pearson’s notoriously famous congestion a factor?
While “Pilot Error” is a potential explanation, a key question the TSB aims to address is:
“What can we learn from the accident that will make flying safer in the future?”
Encouraging Canadian business and political leaders to adhere to the TSB’s safety recommendations may prove challenging. What if the TSB suggests restricting runway use during high winds or implementing new limits on development encroachment at the airport? The principles of physics and natural forces are immutable. Following the crash of Air France 358, the TSB recommended updating Pearson Airport’s RESAs (Runway End Safety Area). As we approach the twentieth anniversary of that crash in 2025, these suggested updates remain incomplete.
Toronto Pearson is the largest airport in Canada and the main passenger airport in the Greater Toronto area. The accident impacted the national and international aviation network. According to a CBC report, 1006 flights were expected to use the airport the day of the crash and 462 were cancelled. Most of them, like the aircraft that crashed, were full. When the airport closed a few aircraft diverted to Hamilton, but many returned to their airport of origin. Others diverter to Montreal, more than 500 kilometres away. This was due to the lack of a viable local Toronto region alternative.
On Tuesday, Greater Toronto Airport Authority CEO Deborah Flint commented on two of the five runways remaining closed as the investigation continues. She said, “Flight delays are likely to continue for several days.” A day after the crash, 21% of departures and 29% of arrivals are cancelled.
Unfortunately, and by coincidence, the Liberal federal government recently decided to avoid taking action to increase aviation capacity and network operability in the Toronto region.
In January 2025, a newly appointed federal transportation Minister and a few local Liberal MPs proudly stood in front of a small room of supporters to promise to stop Pickering Airport. The minister did not announce an alternative plan to build new capacity elsewhere in the Toronto area. This announcement appeared to ignore the advice of the government’s own transportation studies, which clearly state that new aviation capacity is needed in the Toronto region.
Lobby groups and private interests set to profit from Transportation Minister Anand’s promise cheered the announcement. The press asked no questions. With air travel expected to double in the next two decades, what will be the result if the promise to stop the development of new aviation capacity is fulfilled?
Toronto saw its aviation future on Monday. A single crash disrupted air travel for days, hurting our economy nationwide. When will our politicians have the humility to admit that the forces of nature are greater than their wishful thinking pronouncements?
References
What we know about the plane that crashed, flipped at Toronto’s Pearson airport | CBC News
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