Posted October 24, 2018 11:50:25An Air Canada plane that was scheduled to land at the Toronto airport has crashed into a mountain, killing all five people on board.
The Airbus A319-200 was en route from Toronto to Paris when it veered off course at 8:30 p.m. local time, according to the Canadian Air Transport Command (CATCA).
It was flying at an altitude of about 1,000 feet when it crashed in the Atlantic.
“The aircraft impacted a mountain at a speed of about 400 miles per hour and crashed,” CATCA spokesman Paul Chambers told the Associated Press news agency.
“Four passengers and a crewmember survived the impact and were transported to a local hospital.
Three passengers and one crewmember were killed.
No one else was injured.”
The plane was carrying four people and two passengers from Toronto, according, and there were three more passengers on board the flight.
The plane’s captain is the only person on board who has not yet been identified.
The pilot, a 32-year-old man from Toronto who was not on duty, was airlifted to a hospital in Paris, where he was later pronounced dead.
The first passenger, a 35-year old woman from Montreal, was taken to a Paris hospital where she is listed in stable condition.
The second passenger, an Italian man, was in stable but critical condition.
The flight’s captain, who was wearing a mask and wearing goggles, told reporters that he was flying from Toronto and was taking off from a Canadian airport.
“He was trying to get to Paris on time,” he said.
“We were flying to Paris and it was a busy day, so he was just trying to do the best he could to get there.
I’m so saddened.”
Canadian media reports said the pilot was from Toronto but did not immediately provide further details.
The pilot was not carrying any passengers, but the pilot and two other passengers were in a small cabin, according the CBC.
Canadian media has reported that passengers were evacuated from the flight and that the plane’s engine blew up.
The flight, operated by Air Canada, was scheduled for Toronto.
The airport tweeted that the aircraft was enroute from Toronto on Thursday to Paris.
“We are extremely grateful to all those who have offered their support, condolences and prayers for those affected by this tragedy,” a statement said.