'The aircraft is upside down and burning': Three people injured in plane crash at Canadian airport

The pilot of a medical helicopter has described the crash scene when a passenger plane carrying 80 people flipped over on the runway at a major Canadian airport.

Three people have been left with critical injuries following the crash of the Delta Air Lines Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR commuter aircraft at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday (Tuesday AEDT), according to the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Delta Airlines says at least 18 passengers were injured and taken to hospitals after the crash landing.

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The critically injured include one child and two adults.

The other injuries range from minor to moderate. All crew and passengers have been accounted for.

'The aircraft is upside down and burning'

A medical helicopter was in the area and offered to help after the plane crashed on the runway, according to air traffic control audio.

"We got permission from OCC (Operations Control Centre) to land north end and assist with this crash if needed," the helicopter pilot said, according to LiveATC audio.

The pilot then asked for more details about the crash.

The workers in the control tower gave specifics about the location of the crash and the type of the plane, as heard on the audio.

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"LifeFlight 1, Medevac, just so you are aware there are people outside walking around the aircraft there," air traffic control says.

"Yeah, we've got it. The aircraft is upside down and burning," the helicopter pilot responds, according to the audio.

Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada around 2.45pm local time," the airport said in a statement said, noting the aircraft had departed from Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport.

In a statement, Delta Airlines confirmed that the aircraft carrying 80 people.

"The flight was carrying a total of 80 people — 76 passengers and four crew."

Praise for heroic first responders

Deborah Flint, the president and chief executive of Toronto Pearson International Airport, credited first responders and other trained personnel at the airport for there being no deaths after the plane crashed on the runway.

"First and foremost, there was no loss of life and this is in due part to our heroic and trained professionals, our first responders at the airport," Flint said at a news conference.

She said emergency workers at the airport "mounted a textbook response".

They reached the crash quickly and evacuated everyone from the plane, Flint said.

The CEO said the airport has put in place an "emergency operation centre" consisting of personnel from Delta Air Lines, fire and police departments, paramedics, security and federal agency partners.

Flint gave a statement but did not take any questions at the news conference.

Poor weather conditions

It is too early to say what caused the plane to flip but weather may have played a factor.

According to the Meteorological Service of Canada, the airport was experiencing blowing snow and winds of 51km/h gusting to 65km/h.

The temperature was about -8 degrees.

The crash comes less than three weeks after an American Airlines plane collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Washington DC's Reagan National Airport.

It also comes on the heels of deadly Jeju Air and Azerbaijan Airlines accidents in December.

- With CNN, AP

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