He Survived a Plane Crash in Toronto. The Aftermath Still Shapes His Life

Pete Carleton boarded a routine business flight to Toronto expecting nothing more than another quiet trip. Ten months after walking away from a fiery crash that overturned his plane on the runway, the Minnesota traveler says survival has come with lasting physical and psychological consequences that continue to reshape his daily life.

On a cold February morning, Carleton followed a familiar routine at the airport, passing through security, filling his water bottle, and settling into his seat on Delta Connection flight 4819. He slipped on his earbuds, played music, and tuned out the cabin, as he had done countless times before.

As the aircraft prepared to land, that routine ended abruptly. The plane’s main landing gear failed, sending the jet skidding down the runway. One wing broke off, the tail separated, and the aircraft came to rest upside down. Inside the cabin, passengers were left hanging from their seatbelts, suspended in silence amid alarms and smoke.

All aboard survived. But for Carleton, the experience did not end when he stepped off the wreckage.

A landing that went wrong

Carleton recalls that the final moments before impact felt uneasy. The descent was rough, and the aircraft seemed to be moving too fast as it approached the runway.

When the plane struck the ground, he saw flames erupt outside his window. The sound of metal scraping across frozen concrete filled the cabin as fire billowed along the fuselage. The flames vanished only after a wing snapped free, altering the aircraft’s path.

As the plane rolled, Carleton struck his head. When it finally stopped, the cabin fell quiet except for warning alarms, including alerts from passengers’ smartwatches triggered by the impact. The plane was upside down, and blood rushed to passengers’ heads as they assessed whether they could escape.

Strangers who had not spoken during the flight helped one another unbuckle and drop to the ceiling-turned-floor. Carleton fell hard, bruising himself, then assisted others nearby. Overhead bins had spilled open, scattering luggage throughout the cabin.

Jet fuel seeped inside as passengers shouted for the doors to be opened. According to a preliminary report, the aircraft was carrying about 6,000 pounds of fuel at the time. The cause of the crash has not yet been released.

Escape and aftermath on the tarmac

Carleton crawled toward an emergency exit, pushing aside bags to clear a path. When he stepped onto the tarmac, his clothes were soaked in fuel. He turned back just in time to see firefighters leap from the same exit moments before part of the wreckage exploded.

He escaped without belongings. His phone, medication, and luggage were left behind.

On the runway, he watched a family with a child and a man struggling to breathe evacuated by helicopter. Other passengers boarded buses bound for the terminal, where the smell of jet fuel was so strong that windows had to be opened.

Inside the terminal, police officers, emergency medical teams, airline staff, and clergy from multiple faiths waited at an unused gate. Passengers sat together in shock, some crying, others silently replaying videos they had captured. Carleton said people instinctively looked after one another.

Acts of kindness after disaster

At his hotel that night, Carleton showered repeatedly, trying to wash away the lingering odor of fuel. Later, he joined coworkers for food and drinks, still wearing the only clothes he had. A stranger covered their bill.

He spent hours on the phone with his wife, Carolynn, and their children. The next morning, a hotel guest who recognized him from news coverage brought him a sweatshirt from his truck. The company Carleton had traveled to meet purchased basic clothing and toiletries before arranging flights home.

Carleton said those moments stood out amid the chaos. For a brief time, he felt people were more attentive to one another than usual.

Delta later offered $30,000 in cash to each passenger, described as having no conditions attached. In a statement, the airline said safety remained its top priority and that it was cooperating fully with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which is leading the investigation. Delta and its subsidiary Endeavor Air declined further comment while the inquiry continues.

Carleton’s attorney has said roughly 55 people are involved in legal cases related to the crash.

Living with trauma

As winter returned to Minneapolis, Carleton found the cold weather and blowing snow unsettling. Storms triggered vivid memories of standing on the runway. He experiences panic attacks and recurring dreams involving fire, echoing what he saw through the aircraft window.

Sleep does not come easily. He now relies on white noise to quiet his thoughts at night.

The effects extend beyond anxiety. Carleton has hearing loss, and his speech changed after the crash. His wife said that in the days following the incident, he struggled with focus and orientation, sometimes appearing present but disconnected.

She described the adjustment as difficult, requiring patience as he worked through lingering cognitive and emotional effects.

Returning to work, avoiding the sky

Carleton has continued working, but he no longer travels regularly. He says being engaged professionally has helped, even as he accepts that life has not returned to what it was.

Flying remains a challenge. He has taken only a few flights since the crash and says he cannot travel alone. On one trip, he held his wife’s hand for the entire flight. He plans future journeys by train and hopes to travel overseas after retirement, though he says winter flying still feels overwhelming.

Despite the setbacks, Carleton has sought new ways to channel his energy. He now volunteers at a raptor center in Minneapolis, helping with carpentry projects that support wildlife rehabilitation. The work, he says, offers a sense of purpose.

He views it as part of a broader effort to give back after being spared in an accident that could easily have ended differently.

Carleton knows the crash will remain with him. Gratitude for survival sits alongside questions he says may never fully fade: why he lived, and what he is meant to do with that second chance.