• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Aviation

‘Big Ball of Fire.’ Plane Carrying 168 Passengers Involved in Crash at Toronto Airport

By
Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 6, 2018, 10:17 AM ET
Westjet Boeing 737-800 at Pearson International Airport
Westjet Boeing 737-800 at Pearson International Airport ready to be boarded by passengers. Photo by Roberto Machado Noa—LightRocket/Getty ImagesRoberto Machad Noa—LightRocket via Getty Images

A ground collision between two planes at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport Friday night sparked a fire on one of the planes and led to the evacuation of the other.

A WestJet flight arriving from Cancun was carrying 168 passengers and six crew onboard when a Sunwing plane carrying no passengers or crew backed into it, according to the CBC.

One passenger, who was with his 12-year-old son and wife, told the network he saw a “big ball of fire,” which lit up the windows of the right side of the plane just after the collision.

Another passenger described what he thought was fuel “spewing” from the crash.

“After a couple of seconds the entire thing ignited and it was chaos inside the plane,” WestJet passenger Gustavo Lobo told the CBC. “People screaming and panicking all while the flight attendants shouted to try and control the situation.”

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdlmXHTnePV/

Beverly MacDonald, a Greater Toronto Airport Authority representative, told the network an investigation was underway.

The only injury, MacDonald said, was to a member of the Toronto Pearson Fire and Emergency Service. The extent of that injury was not disclosed.

About the Author
By Lisa Marie Segarra
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

broker
EconomyRecession
Goldman raises recession odds to 30% on higher inflation, lower GDP outlook as oil prices surge
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 25, 2026
11 minutes ago
david-f
CommentaryVenture Capital
Europe has survived 3 energy shocks in 4 years. The only way out is to stop buying power from its enemies
By David FrykmanMarch 25, 2026
38 minutes ago
MagazineSoftware
Wall Street is convinced AI will kill SaaS. History and economics say something else
By Jeremy KahnMarch 25, 2026
38 minutes ago
C-Suitegeopolitics
‘We’ve become like Europe’: Jamie Dimon warns China is beating the U.S. as he says Iran war means a ‘better chance’ of permanent Middle East peace
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 25, 2026
55 minutes ago
shinkarovsky
Future of WorkJobs
The job market is so bad that ‘reverse recruiters’ are charging $1,500 a month just to help people look for jobs
By Jake AngeloMarch 25, 2026
1 hour ago
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, March 25, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMarch 25, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Commentary
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
2 days ago
Magazine
The youngest-ever female CEO of a Fortune 500 company is fighting Trump's cuts to keep Medicaid strong
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
1 day ago
Economy
It took 200 years for national debt to hit $1 trillion. Annual interest alone now exceeds that—a 'crushing legacy we must reverse,' says budget chair
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
2 days ago
Energy
Nobel laureate Paul Krugman calls it 'treason': $580 million in suspicious oil futures traded minutes before Trump's Iran reversal
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
14 hours ago
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 23, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
2 days ago
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of March 24, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.