An off-duty flight attendant who was hailed for her bravery during a Delta plane crash in Toronto earlier this year is now suing the airline, alleging it compromised safety and knowingly endangered passengers. Vanessa Miles, a 67-year-old flight attendant with Endeavor Air, Delta's regional carrier, filed a 15-page lawsuit in a federal court in Michigan, seeking at least $75 million in damages.
The lawsuit accuses Delta and Endeavor Air of negligence for assigning an 'inexperienced' pilot and failing to adequately train the flight crew. 'Defendants knowingly, willfully, and repeatedly place profits over safety, resulting in this catastrophic incident and Plaintiff's severe injuries,' the complaint reads, according to reports.
On February 17, Delta Flight 4819, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Endeavor, flipped upside down and skidded down the runway in a fiery landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The flight, which had departed from Minneapolis with 80 passengers and crew on board, resulted in at least 21 people being hospitalised. Video and photos of the plane upside down on the snowy runway quickly made headlines.
Miles was not on duty at the time but was travelling as a passenger, a practice known as 'deadheading,' to position herself for her next assignment. In the lawsuit, she describes losing consciousness while hanging upside down in her seatbelt after the aircraft came to rest on its roof. When she came to, she was 'soaked in jet fuel and surrounded by smoke.' She sustained multiple injuries, including trauma to her knees and back, a fractured left shoulder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Michael Morse, the lawyer representing Miles, told CBC News that she remains an Endeavor employee but has been unable to return to work due to her injuries. 'Something went wrong here. Incidents like this don't occur without someone's negligence,' he said.
A Delta spokesperson declined to comment on the pending litigation, stating the airline continues to support the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's investigation. At least 19 other lawsuits have been filed by passengers against Delta and Endeavor Air over the crash. The TSB's preliminary report in March noted a rapid descent and abnormal nose pitch before landing, but the full investigation report is not expected until fall 2026.
