Air France Flight 358

Air France Flight 358 was a regularly scheduled international flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, to Toronto Pearson International Airport in Ontario, Canada. On the afternoon of 2 August 2005, while landing at Pearson airport, the Airbus A340 operating the route overran the runway and crashed into nearby Etobicoke Creek, approximately 300 m beyond the end of the runway. All 309 passengers and crew on board the Airbus survived, but 12 people sustained serious injuries. The accident highlighted the vital role played by highly trained flight attendants during an emergency.

Due to inclement weather, 540 flights departing and arriving at Pearson were cancelled. Many small and mid-sized aircraft due to arrive were diverted to other Canadian airports in Ottawa, Hamilton, and Winnipeg. Most of the larger aircraft were diverted to Montreal, Syracuse, New York, and Buffalo, New York. Flights from Vancouver were turned back. The crash of Air France Flight 358 was the biggest crisis to hit Toronto Pearson since the airport's involvement in Operation Yellow Ribbon.

Jean Lapierre, the Canadian Minister of Transport, referred to Flight 358 as a "miracle" because everyone on board survived, despite the aircraft's complete destruction. Other press sources described the accident as the "Miracle in Toronto", the "Toronto Miracle," the " 'Miracle' Escape," and the "Miracle of Runway 24L."

The accident was investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), with a final report issued on 13 December 2007. The unfavourable weather conditions, and the poor landing decisions made by the flight crew, were found to be major factors leading to the crash. The visibility was poor, the assigned runway was short (the airport's shortest), the plane touched down nearly halfway through the runway and the thrust reversers were not on full power until 17 seconds after touchdown.

Accident

At 16:03 EDT (20:03 UTC) on 2 August 2005, Air France Flight 358 overshot the end of the runway after landing on Runway 24L at Toronto Pearson International Airport, and came to rest in a small ravine just outside the airport perimeter. All 297 passengers and 12 crew members successfully evacuated the aircraft. Twelve major injuries resulted from the accident and there were no fatalities; the other occupants suffered minor or no injuries. The aircraft was destroyed in a post-crash fire.

The flight landed during exceptionally poor weather — severe winds, heavy rain showers, and localized thunderstorms near the airport (see weather conditions below) — and touched down farther along the runway than usual. Some passengers reported that the plane was rocking from side to side before landing, possibly due to turbulence and gusting winds associated with the storm systems. One passenger described the crash as like a "car accident, but it keeps going and going, non-stop."

The plane had been cleared to land at 16:01 EDT on Runway 24L, which, at 2744 m in length, is the shortest runway at Pearson Airport. After touchdown, the aircraft did not stop before the end of the runway, but continued for another 300 m until it slid into the Etobicoke Creek ravine at a speed of 148 km/h, on the western edge of the airport immediately north of Highway 401.

After the aircraft had stopped, the crew saw fire outside and began evacuation. When the emergency exits were opened, one of the right middle exit slides (R3) deflated after being punctured by debris from the aircraft, while one of the left slides (L2) failed to deploy at all for unknown reasons. The two rear left exits remained closed due to the fire. Some passengers jumped from the aircraft to escape. The actions of the flight attendants, who ensured that all of the passengers were able to exit the plane quickly, contributed to the safe evacuation of everyone on board. They made sure everyone was evacuated safely within the required 90-second time.

Emergency response teams arrived on site within 52 seconds of the accident occurring. The TSB official report states that "the first response vehicle arrived at the scene within one minute of the crash alarm sounding".