A Florida man had the most terrifying moment of his life on one flight

Flying is one of the safest methods of travel. 

But occasionally, the worst happens. 

And a Florida man had the most terrifying moment of his life on one flight. 

Florida man survived a Delta flight that flipped over on landing in Toronto 

Delta Flight 4819 from Minneapolis to Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada narrowly avoided disaster when the CRJ 900 regional jet flipped over on the runway. 

In total, 76 passengers and four crew members were on the flight that flipped over while the jet was going 100 miles per hour down the runway and burst into flames. 

A Florida man was on the flight when he suddenly found himself in a chaotic situation. 

Nate Richie was on a business trip to Toronto, where the company he works for is based. 

The Florida resident said the flight was uneventful until the landing. 

“You start thinking ‘this is it,” Richie recalled after the plane flipped over. “You start thinking about your loved ones – my wife and children – and you just try to brace yourself.” 

Richie was sitting in a window seat during the flight. 

All hell was breaking loose when the Delta flight botched its landing 

The plane’s wings were ripped off during the landing before it went up in flames. 

Richie recalled that it was complete chaos when the plane lost control during the landing. 

“We were jolted and started to roll,” Richie told Fox News. “[There were] explosions and fire on the opposite side of the plane as we started rolling, [with] things flying through the air and bodies being jolted around.” 

He found himself flipped upside down, with smoke billowing out of the tail of the plane. 

Richie fell from his seat and began to help the other passengers once the plane came to a stop. 

Authorities evacuated the plane onto the airport’s tarmac. 

Passengers were greeted by the freezing cold Canadian winter, and most of them could not grab a coat before going outside. 

“It was freezing, absolutely freezing on that runway,” Richie stated. “Obviously, [we had] nothing to protect us. Our coats were in the overhead [bins] of the plane, so we were just exposed to the cold weather.” 

Thankfully, everyone on the flight survived the crash. 

There were 21 people taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

Richie was hospitalized after he injured his head and neck during the crash. 

He rented a car in Toronto and began to drive back home to see his family in Florida. 

“It’s a lot to process,” Richie explained. “I’m struggling mentally. I’m not sleeping, I’m not eating. [It’s] just a lot of emotions, and I’m trying to unpack those. It’s really tough right now.”

Richie praised the flight attendants for helping everyone get off the plane safely. 

“It felt like the stewardesses did a great job taking action, giving instructions and directing people to get out of the plane,” Richie said. 

The Florida man was simply happy to be able to walk away from the crash. 

“Always hug your loved ones,” Richie added. “You might not see them again.”