Passengers blasted for dangerous act during Delta Toronto plane crash

A key detail in images of scared passengers evacuating the upturned plane that crash-landed in Toronto have caused uproar.

Images of scared passengers evacuating the upturned plane that crash-landed in Toronto with personal belongings like backpacks and neck pillows have been blasted.

If you are a regular flyer you will likely be familiar with the important line during the safety demonstration on takeoff that informs passengers to leave their belongings behind in the event of an emergency.

This is so baggage carried on to the flight does not impede or delay the evacuation. Simply put, it’s quicker to get people out if they are not carrying stuff. Bags and other items can also damage emergency equipment such as escape slides.

On Monday afternoon, local time, Delta flight 4819 crash landed and flipped on its back in harsh winter conditions at Canada’s largest airport.

Four crew and 76 passengers were on board the Bombardier CRJ 900 plane, which was arriving from Minneapolis, US. Fortunately, they all managed to escape alive.

Images shot by passenger Pete Koukov who was on a Delta Air Lines plane that crashed while landing Monday afternoon at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Picture: Pete Koukov/@eggxit Instagram

Footage of the disastrous landing showed flames and black smoke before the aircraft flipped belly-up on the runway.

More video footage from inside the plane then showed chaotic scenes as passengers rushed to escape through an exit.

“Drop everything. Drop it,” a crew member could be heard saying.

Yet, passengers were still seen climbing out the aircraft with backpacks, drink bottles, carrying coats and neck pillows.

All passengers managed to escape and survive. Picture: Pete Koukov/@eggxit Instagram

As they were escaping, they were told to ‘drop everything’. Picture: Pete Koukov/@eggxit Instagram

As videos circulate on social media, viewers have been baffled by this detail.

“As cabin crew I am absolutely horrified seeing people carrying their luggage and bags instead of evacuating immediately to save their lives,” one person wrote.

“Literally people grabbing their stuff is putting a second longer of you being in there if it blows up,” said another.

“So many idiots in this emergency couldn’t resist grabbing their carry-on luggage before escaping,” criticised someone else.

Speaking after the deadly Japan Airlines crash in Tokyo in January last year, expert Sonya Brown said passengers not taking their carry-on baggage was key to the fast evacuation that took place.

Dr Brown, a senior lecturer in aerospace design at the University of New South Wales, told SBS the more people who leave their belongings behind — the better people’s chance of escaping.

“We have the least chance of incidents if people aren’t carrying things. Also, if someone picks up their bags they could actually damage some of the emergency equipment – for example, the emergency inflatable slides ” she told the publication.

“So it is really important that people do leave their belongings behind.”

But the scenes in Toronto on Monday are not the first to spark outrage.

The same conversation was being had ten years ago when a British Airways plane caught fire at Las Vegas McCarran Airport.

Evacuated passengers were seen walking across the tarmac with their bags (even small suitcases) as the plane was still engulfed in flames and smoke behind them.