Delta offering crash survivors $30K; crews begin removing plane wreckage from Pearson airport runway

A Delta Air Lines spokesperson says it is offering a $30K payout with no strings attached to passengers who were aboard Delta flight 4819 when it crashed.

Investigators have begun removing the wreckage of a Delta plane that crashed on a runway at Toronto Pearson airport on Monday.

Two of the five runways at Pearson International Airport have been closed since the jet with 80 people on board flipped upside down upon landing on Monday afternoon and burst into flames.

It has resulted in numerous flights being delayed and cancelled for a third day in a row.

• IN PHOTOS: Plane crashes at Pearson airport
• READ MORE: Delta plane crash survivors share their stories
• EXPLAINER: Here is what compensation some crash survivors could be entitled to

A total of 21 people were injured in the crash, though 20 of them have since been released from hospital.

Here are the developments on Wednesday:

7 p.m.

Delta Air Lines is offering $30,000 to the passengers of Flight 4819 that crashed on Monday afternoon.

An airlines spokesperson, in a statement, said: “Delta Care Team representatives are telling customers this gesture has no strings attached and does not affect rights.”

Earlier Wednesday, a Toronto law firm said it had been retained by two passengers who were injured in the crash.

6 p.m.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) provided another update on its investigation into the crash, saying that it is still in the “field phase.”

“Efforts have begun to remove the aircraft from the runway, and it will be moved to a hangar where it will undergo further examination,” the TSB said in a statement.

The agency adds that the scene will be released following further examination and clean-up.

The TSB has also released photos and videos of the crash site, showing the upside-down jet and investigators examining the wreckage.

4 p.m.

Vincent Genova, head of Rochon Genova’s Aviation Litigation Group, spoke with CTV News Toronto about his firm’s representation of a Canadian husband and wife who were both injured on Flight 4819. Genova said that both individuals sustained “bruising and soft tissue injuries” and one of them has since returned to hospital due to “ongoing headaches” that they have had since the crash. Genova said that his firm has also heard from U.S. lawyers who are representing three American passengers and expects more passengers to join potential litigation.

“Just from our experience today we have had other passengers reach out to us and it is possible that the clients will want us, and we may recommend, that we procced by way of a class action. That would encompass all passengers that fall within our jurisdiction, unless they opt out of the class,” he said.

3 p.m.

Federal Minister of Transportation Anita Anand tells CP24 that the plane wreckage is being moved to a hanger at Pearson where “further investigation will occur.” She says that her office will not have any involvement with the ongoing investigation and is, therefore, unable to provide a timeline for its completion.

“I would like to thank all first responders, the crew and all individuals at Pearson airport and beyond for their marvelous and incredible work through a very intense situation,” she said.

2:30 p.m.

Footage from Pearson International Airport shows that crews are now removing parts of the wreckage of Flight 4819 from the runway. Delta Air Lines had previously said that its maintenance teams were “standing by to remove the aircraft from the runway Wednesday.” It is not clear how long the process will take to play out or where the wreckage is being taken.

• WATCH LIVE: Crews remove airplane wreckage from Pearson runway

1 p.m.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian appeared on ‘CBS Mornings’ on Wednesday to discuss the crash. He said that it was an ‘experienced crew’ on board the plane and that there is “nothing specific with respect to experience” that he would look to as a potential contributing factor in the crash. Bastian added that it was “horrifying” when he first became aware of the incident and didn’t yet know whether those on board would be OK.

“I want to express my deep appreciation and thanks for the crew on board the plane. Our Endeavor crew performed heroically but also as expected. This is what we train for. We train for this continuously,” he told CBS. “The fact that they were able to evacuate that plan as expeditiously as they did under extreme conditions coupled with the fact that all 80 people walked off the plane with limited physical injuries is really a testament to the safety that is embedded within the systems.”

12 p.m.

Delta Air Lines says that another passenger injured in Monday’s plane crash has been released from hospital. Delta says that as of Wednesday morning, 20 of the 21 people initially hospitalized have been released. The airline says that it plans to begin the process of reuniting passengers with baggage and personal belongings “as soon as possible” but its warning that the process could take weeks to play out.

“Securing, identifying, sorting and cleaning all belongings left onboard could take a matter of weeks before all items can be safely returned,” a statement notes. “Delta and Endeavor teams remain in Toronto and are cooperating fully as participants in the investigation. Maintenance teams are standing by to remove the aircraft from the runway Wednesday once it’s safe to do so.”

11 a.m.

Toronto law firm Rochon Genova says that it has been retained by some passengers and their families who were harmed as a result of the crash involving Delta Airlines Flight 4819 earlier this week. In a news release, the law firm says that its clients “suffered personal injuries of a serious nature that required hospital attention.” The firm did not say whether it plans to take any formal legal action with regards to the crash.

“As fate would have it, our clients were instrumental in opening a damaged emergency exit before allowing others to disembark as the fire was about to spread. With our involvement, we expect to reach a timely and fair resolution for these clients and others who reach out to us,” Vincent Genova, head of Rochon Genova’s Aviation Litigation Group, said in the release.

Genova also told CTV News Toronto that his firm has also been in touch with U.S. attorneys who “have been approached by some American passengers.” He said that he anticipates more passengers could eventually join any “potential litigation.”

“We will likely have an opportunity to work with them to advance claims. That will include our own investigation into whether other parties apart from the airline should be involved in potential litigation,” he said.

7:30 a.m.

Airport officials say that five per cent of departing flights and six per cent of arriving flights had been cancelled as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, with the likelihood of more delays and cancellations throughout the day.

In an interview with CP24 Breakfast, Airport Duty Manager Jake Keating said that the runway where the crash occurred is “the busiest runway in Canada” so not having access to it has reduced the airport’s capacity “quite a bit,” particularly in the busier afternoon hours.

“We do have a limit on the amount of departures we are going to allow throughout the day. It is put into place in an effort to make sure we are not overwhelming the airfield and make sure we are maximizing our capabilities on the available runways we have,” he said. “Essentially it means we are going to be running a more metred program on our runways rather than overwhelming the airfield and having people sitting out on the airfield for extended periods of time.”

Airport officials have said that a total of 462 of 1,006 scheduled flights ended up being cancelled at Pearson on Monday following the crash.

This was after 371 flights at Pearson were cancelled on Sunday due to a major winter storm.

Keating told CP24 on Wednesday that the airport is continuing to urge travellers to check their flight statuses before leaving home, as scheduled departure times “are going to be in flux over the next 48 hours.”

He said that it is also possible that the delays could persist beyond the next 48 hours, as the runway will need to be inspected once the wreckage is removed.

Meanwhile, a team of 20 TSDB investigators are continuing to examine the wreckage on the runway.

The TSB has said that it is “far too early to say” what might have caused the crash.

“Following this initial impact, parts of the aircraft separated and a fire ensued,” TSB senior investigator Ken Webster said in a video statement on Tuesday night. “The fuselage came to rest slightly off the right side of the runway, upside down, facing the other direction.”