Toronto Plane Crash Survivors Seen Taking Luggage Amid Emergency Exit; Experts React

A Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis crash-landed and flipped over at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday afternoon, leaving the aircraft belly-up in a scene straight out of an action movie.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that all 80 people on board were evacuated. While most passengers walked away with minor injuries, 19 were treated for more serious wounds, and three required hospitalization for critical injuries.

One of the survivors, Pete Koukov, described the chaos while speaking on "America’s Newsroom." He also shared a video on Instagram showing frantic passengers evacuating through emergency exits as firefighters worked to extinguish the wreckage. In the video, a flight attendant’s voice can be heard instructing passengers to “leave everything.”

Despite the clear warning, some passengers were spotted carrying backpacks and luggage from the overturned plane. This sparked a heated debate among aviation safety experts.

Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," pointed out the dangers of this behavior. "The problem is that it slows down the evacuation process, and in an emergency like this, every second counts," he explained. Leff added that passengers often don’t think about the larger consequences in high-stress situations. However, he acknowledged that some may grab essential items like prescription medicine.

Interestingly, the plane’s upside-down position prevented access to the overhead bins, limiting the amount of luggage passengers could retrieve. "This incident had fewer bags taken compared to others," Leff noted. Most items retrieved were likely within arm's reach of seats.

Brandon Blewett, author of "How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes," emphasized the importance of following flight crew instructions during such emergencies. "I understand people’s attachment to their belongings, but safety should always come first," Blewett stated, adding that material items can be replaced, but lives cannot.

Delta Air Lines, in its safety protocols, explicitly instructs passengers to leave all bags behind during an evacuation to avoid slowing down the process. This guidance was reiterated in a recent safety video shared by the airline.

While the incident has sparked conversations about passenger behavior during emergencies, the quick action of the crew and rescue teams undoubtedly saved lives on Monday. Delta has yet to provide further comment on the crash.