Survivors recall frantic escape 20 years after Air France crash in Toronto
At 15, Platt hadn't travelled by air very much at that point and was enjoying the trip.
'We were all excited, wearing headphones, listening to the same music. It was a great day,' said Platt.
Eddie Ho, age 19, was a business student from South Africa attending Queen's University in Kingston. He also said the trip from Paris was memorable.
'The service was great, the food was great, it was actually a very enjoyable flight,' Ho said.
But it was a flight that ended with the plane going up in flames after a disastrous landing, even though it initially appeared to passengers that the pilots would be able to stop on the runway 24L at Pearson International Airport in Toronto.
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'I felt a huge impact like you were on a roller-coaster,' said Platt.
'The plane was making its way down the runway and everybody started clapping. Nobody knew what was going to happen after that,' said Ho.
View image in full screen
Lisa Platt and Eddie Ho are pictured in downtown Toronto in July 2025. Sean O'Shea/Global News
According to the aviation investigation report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, weather conditions for the landing included 'very dark clouds, turbulence and heavy rain.'
'The runway was covered with water, producing a shiny, glass-like surface,' the report continued.
The Air France Airbus A340 touched down '3,800 feet down the 9,000 foot runway' and was not able to stop, crash investigators concluded.
'It departed the end of the runway at a groundspeed of 80 knots (148 kilometres per hour) and came to rest in a ravine,' the TSB report said.
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Seconds after the plane came to a stop, fire was observed out the left side of the aircraft and smoke was entering the cabin, the report said.
For passengers, including Ho and Platt, it was clear they needed to get out of the plane immediately.
'Some people were reaching up for their bags and others who were in the middle of the plane, they knew what was going on, and they were climbing over seats pushing people out,' said Ho, who was seated in the economy cabin just behind the business class section.
When Ho went to the nearest exit to get out, he discovered that the emergency evacuation slide hadn't deployed. He faced a choice: jump to the ground and risk injury or look for another way out.
'I decided not to risk the jump; I ran to the front to the first exit on the left,' he said.
At the second emergency exit, Ho said he faced another challenge.
'The chute came out, but it did not inflate. But at that point I had no other choice,' said Ho, who jumped and sustained minor injuries.
'There were passengers near me who broke their hips, broke their legs, had much more serious injuries.'
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Platt, seated with her friend toward the rear of the plane, had an easier time escaping.
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'My shoe popped off. I remember grabbing my shoe with my hand thinking, 'I'm going to need this,'' Platt said.
After descending on the escape slide, Platt observed a passenger concerned about what he left behind.
'I remember a guy in a brown suit worried about his luggage at the bottom of the chute, and I thought, that's not the right time to worry about your luggage,' Platt said.
View image in full screen
Police survey the site where an Air France Airbus A340 jet slid off the runway and crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005. All 309 passengers and crew aboard the Air France jet survived the crash Tuesday afternoon. David Duprey/AP via CP
Ho, Platt, and others made it out of the plane, but weren't out of danger yet.
'My first thought was, we have to get away from the plane because it's going to explode,' he said.
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'We need to get away.'
Ho said he and another man assisted an injured passenger lying on the ground.
'(We were) carrying him, just trying to drag him away from the plane,' said Ho.
About the same time, Ho pulled out his Canon Powershot digital camera and quickly grabbed a few frames of the burning airplane as he moved away. At the time, smart phones hadn't been invented and few people carried cameras every day.
'I remember taking a couple of shots, I didn't aim or do anything, I just took it out and snap, snap,' said Ho. One of his pictures was awarded the 2006 Canadian Press Picture of the Year in the news category.
Eventually, Ho was transported to the Pearson air terminal where he joined other plane crash survivors who were grouped together.
'They actually thought it was a terrorist attack, so they didn't let any passengers out,' Ho said.
Even though Ho and Platt had abandoned their belongings in the aircraft, that fact didn't prevent customs officers from wanting to know what they had brought back from Europe.
'I still remember the customs folks, CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) came out and asked me multiple times: 'Do you have anything to declare,'' and insisted he sign a declaration card.
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'I had nothing to declare,' Ho said.
Platt said she, too was asked to make a declaration.
'They were just doing their jobs,' she said.
With news of the Air France crash making headlines around the world, Platt wanted to let her family know she was all right.
She reached her mother by telephone.
'I was like, 'Mom, it's me, it's Lisa,' recalling how her mother appeared surprised and probably relieved to hear her voice.
Late that evening, Platt and others were allowed to leave after the airline had accounted for all the passengers and crew members.
'We were pretty sure there were fatalities,' said Ho, recounting what he felt in the hours after the crash.
View image in full screen
Lisa Platt shows a tattoo on her ankle of AF 358, the number of an Air France flight that crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Aug. 2, 2005.
To the surprise of many who were onboard, all 297 passengers and 12 crew members had made it out safely.
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Everyone survived.
But quickly, many passengers would start dealing with the aftermath.
'It was exhausting, I think it was the next day when it all hit me,' said Platt.
In the months and years ahead, the survivors would come to terms with what they had gone through that afternoon in the driving rain and lightning at the end of the runway.
Ho and Platt experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sought help from therapists for about a year.
'I remember I started to get nightmares, and I slowly didn't like to be on buses, I didn't like to be in cars,' said Platt.
To this day, Platt says she must be the one driving a vehicle in a rainstorm.
At the end of her counselling sessions, Platt says her therapist would hold her feet for about five minutes, encouraging her to stay grounded.
Platt later had the Air France flight number, AF 358, tattooed on her ankle, a daily reminder of what she had survived.
Air France provided a free, return trip to every passenger on the ill-fated flight. Platt chose to travel back to Paris and to return to Toronto exactly one year later on the same day and flight.
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'I cried and you grip harder than you normally grip,' she said, referring to holding to the armrests.
Years later, Platt went on to pursue a career that might be considered unusual for an air crash survivor.
'I thought, 'I want to be a flight attendant, I want to get on these planes and I can do this,'' Platt said.
After initially working as a customer service representative, Platt got a job as a flight attendant with Porter Airlines. She spent almost ten years with the company flying in and out of Toronto before pursuing another career.
Eddie Ho finished his university education and became a chartered professional account in Toronto.
He says he took first flight a year after the crash but it took about five years before he stopped thinking about the crash when he boarded plane.
As a frequent flyer for work, Ho says he tried to put other jittery flyers at ease when he can.
'Sometimes it's a passenger next to me and they're afraid of flying,' said Ho.
''I'll give them support right away, don't worry, it will be fine,' he tells nervous passengers.
Ho holds something back, however.
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'I don't tell them that I've been in a plane accident. I usually tell them afterward,' said Ho.
Ho lets people know that crash survivors don't get free perks beyond that initial free flight.
'The stories that you get free, unlimited travel for the rest of your life or free elite status for the rest of your life, no, that doesn't happen,' he said.
Ho said the crash has influenced how he approaches life.
'I have a mindset of — how can I help others?' and says he does not hold grudges as a result of the crash.
Similarly, Platt recalls how fortunate she is to have escaped death 20 years ago.
'I have a lot of gratitude. I am very thankful we made it out okay,' said Platt.
'For me, things may have been different if we didn't all survive.'
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Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
Survivors recall frantic escape 20 years after Air France crash in Toronto
Lisa Platt was returning to Toronto with a French exchange student on Air France flight 358 on Aug. 2, 2005. At 15, Platt hadn't travelled by air very much at that point and was enjoying the trip. 'We were all excited, wearing headphones, listening to the same music. It was a great day,' said Platt. Eddie Ho, age 19, was a business student from South Africa attending Queen's University in Kingston. He also said the trip from Paris was memorable. 'The service was great, the food was great, it was actually a very enjoyable flight,' Ho said. But it was a flight that ended with the plane going up in flames after a disastrous landing, even though it initially appeared to passengers that the pilots would be able to stop on the runway 24L at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Story continues below advertisement 'I felt a huge impact like you were on a roller-coaster,' said Platt. 'The plane was making its way down the runway and everybody started clapping. Nobody knew what was going to happen after that,' said Ho. View image in full screen Lisa Platt and Eddie Ho are pictured in downtown Toronto in July 2025. Sean O'Shea/Global News According to the aviation investigation report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, weather conditions for the landing included 'very dark clouds, turbulence and heavy rain.' 'The runway was covered with water, producing a shiny, glass-like surface,' the report continued. The Air France Airbus A340 touched down '3,800 feet down the 9,000 foot runway' and was not able to stop, crash investigators concluded. 'It departed the end of the runway at a groundspeed of 80 knots (148 kilometres per hour) and came to rest in a ravine,' the TSB report said. Story continues below advertisement Seconds after the plane came to a stop, fire was observed out the left side of the aircraft and smoke was entering the cabin, the report said. For passengers, including Ho and Platt, it was clear they needed to get out of the plane immediately. 'Some people were reaching up for their bags and others who were in the middle of the plane, they knew what was going on, and they were climbing over seats pushing people out,' said Ho, who was seated in the economy cabin just behind the business class section. When Ho went to the nearest exit to get out, he discovered that the emergency evacuation slide hadn't deployed. He faced a choice: jump to the ground and risk injury or look for another way out. 'I decided not to risk the jump; I ran to the front to the first exit on the left,' he said. At the second emergency exit, Ho said he faced another challenge. 'The chute came out, but it did not inflate. But at that point I had no other choice,' said Ho, who jumped and sustained minor injuries. 'There were passengers near me who broke their hips, broke their legs, had much more serious injuries.' Story continues below advertisement Platt, seated with her friend toward the rear of the plane, had an easier time escaping. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'My shoe popped off. I remember grabbing my shoe with my hand thinking, 'I'm going to need this,'' Platt said. After descending on the escape slide, Platt observed a passenger concerned about what he left behind. 'I remember a guy in a brown suit worried about his luggage at the bottom of the chute, and I thought, that's not the right time to worry about your luggage,' Platt said. View image in full screen Police survey the site where an Air France Airbus A340 jet slid off the runway and crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005. All 309 passengers and crew aboard the Air France jet survived the crash Tuesday afternoon. David Duprey/AP via CP Ho, Platt, and others made it out of the plane, but weren't out of danger yet. 'My first thought was, we have to get away from the plane because it's going to explode,' he said. Story continues below advertisement 'We need to get away.' Ho said he and another man assisted an injured passenger lying on the ground. '(We were) carrying him, just trying to drag him away from the plane,' said Ho. About the same time, Ho pulled out his Canon Powershot digital camera and quickly grabbed a few frames of the burning airplane as he moved away. At the time, smart phones hadn't been invented and few people carried cameras every day. 'I remember taking a couple of shots, I didn't aim or do anything, I just took it out and snap, snap,' said Ho. One of his pictures was awarded the 2006 Canadian Press Picture of the Year in the news category. Eventually, Ho was transported to the Pearson air terminal where he joined other plane crash survivors who were grouped together. 'They actually thought it was a terrorist attack, so they didn't let any passengers out,' Ho said. Even though Ho and Platt had abandoned their belongings in the aircraft, that fact didn't prevent customs officers from wanting to know what they had brought back from Europe. 'I still remember the customs folks, CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) came out and asked me multiple times: 'Do you have anything to declare,'' and insisted he sign a declaration card. Story continues below advertisement 'I had nothing to declare,' Ho said. Platt said she, too was asked to make a declaration. 'They were just doing their jobs,' she said. With news of the Air France crash making headlines around the world, Platt wanted to let her family know she was all right. She reached her mother by telephone. 'I was like, 'Mom, it's me, it's Lisa,' recalling how her mother appeared surprised and probably relieved to hear her voice. Late that evening, Platt and others were allowed to leave after the airline had accounted for all the passengers and crew members. 'We were pretty sure there were fatalities,' said Ho, recounting what he felt in the hours after the crash. View image in full screen Lisa Platt shows a tattoo on her ankle of AF 358, the number of an Air France flight that crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Aug. 2, 2005. To the surprise of many who were onboard, all 297 passengers and 12 crew members had made it out safely. Story continues below advertisement Everyone survived. But quickly, many passengers would start dealing with the aftermath. 'It was exhausting, I think it was the next day when it all hit me,' said Platt. In the months and years ahead, the survivors would come to terms with what they had gone through that afternoon in the driving rain and lightning at the end of the runway. Ho and Platt experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sought help from therapists for about a year. 'I remember I started to get nightmares, and I slowly didn't like to be on buses, I didn't like to be in cars,' said Platt. To this day, Platt says she must be the one driving a vehicle in a rainstorm. At the end of her counselling sessions, Platt says her therapist would hold her feet for about five minutes, encouraging her to stay grounded. Platt later had the Air France flight number, AF 358, tattooed on her ankle, a daily reminder of what she had survived. Air France provided a free, return trip to every passenger on the ill-fated flight. Platt chose to travel back to Paris and to return to Toronto exactly one year later on the same day and flight. Story continues below advertisement 'I cried and you grip harder than you normally grip,' she said, referring to holding to the armrests. Years later, Platt went on to pursue a career that might be considered unusual for an air crash survivor. 'I thought, 'I want to be a flight attendant, I want to get on these planes and I can do this,'' Platt said. After initially working as a customer service representative, Platt got a job as a flight attendant with Porter Airlines. She spent almost ten years with the company flying in and out of Toronto before pursuing another career. Eddie Ho finished his university education and became a chartered professional account in Toronto. He says he took first flight a year after the crash but it took about five years before he stopped thinking about the crash when he boarded plane. As a frequent flyer for work, Ho says he tried to put other jittery flyers at ease when he can. 'Sometimes it's a passenger next to me and they're afraid of flying,' said Ho. ''I'll give them support right away, don't worry, it will be fine,' he tells nervous passengers. Ho holds something back, however. Story continues below advertisement 'I don't tell them that I've been in a plane accident. I usually tell them afterward,' said Ho. Ho lets people know that crash survivors don't get free perks beyond that initial free flight. 'The stories that you get free, unlimited travel for the rest of your life or free elite status for the rest of your life, no, that doesn't happen,' he said. Ho said the crash has influenced how he approaches life. 'I have a mindset of — how can I help others?' and says he does not hold grudges as a result of the crash. Similarly, Platt recalls how fortunate she is to have escaped death 20 years ago. 'I have a lot of gratitude. I am very thankful we made it out okay,' said Platt. 'For me, things may have been different if we didn't all survive.'
Winnipeg Free Press
26-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
At 102, D-Day veteran looks forward to a long-delayed bar mitzvah
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Harold Terens fought in World War II. He's lived almost 102 years, celebrating his birthday a couple weeks early with family and friends in Florida. But he has something more to look forward to. His bar mitzvah. Terens said at his birthday celebration Saturday that his brother got the traditional Jewish ceremony marking the beginning of adulthood when they were kids living in New York, but he did not. 'My mother came from Poland. My father came from Russia. And my mother was a religious Jew. And my father was anti-religious. So they had two sons. And one son, they compromised. One son got bar mitzvahed, the other son didn't,' he said. Early next year, Terens said he will finally enjoy that ceremony. At the Pentagon outside Washington, no less. Terens said that came about when he was talking with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on a TV panel and a rabbi overheard the conversation. 'I mentioned that I would like to be bar mitzvahed at 103 and he's the rabbi of the Pentagon so that's my next bucket list. I am going to be bar mitzvahed in the Pentagon,' Terens said. Terens turns 102 on Aug. 6. So Saturday's party was a little early. On D-Day — June 6, 1944 — Terens helped repair planes returning from France so they could rejoin the battle. He said half his company's pilots died that day. Terens went to France 12 days later, helping transport freshly captured Germans and just-freed American POWs back to England. Terens was honored in June 2024 by the French as part of the 80th anniversary celebration of their country's liberation from the Nazis. But that isn't all that happened on those Normandy beaches. He married Jeanne Swerlin, now 97. 'I thought my wedding in Normandy last year was the highlight of my life. Number one of all the moments of my life. You know, that's the saying, that life is not measured by how many breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away,' Terens said. He survived World War ll, was involved in a secret mission in Iran, another time barely escaping a German rocket after leaving a London pub just before it was destroyed. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. 'My life has been one huge fairy tale, especially with this new wife that I have. Who I love deeply and who I am going to spend the rest of my life till death do us part, as the mayor had us say in Normandy,' Terens said. After the German surrender in 1945, Terens helped transport freed Allied prisoners to England before he shipped back to the U.S. a month later. He married his wife Thelma in 1948 and they had two daughters and a son. He became a U.S. vice president for a British conglomerate. They moved from New York to Florida in 2006 after Thelma retired as a French teacher; she died in 2018 after 70 years of marriage. He has eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Terens gets asked a lot about his secret to longevity. 'I think if you can learn how to minimize stress, you'll go a long way. You'll add at least 10 years to your life. So that is number one. And 90% is luck,' he said.
Toronto Sun
26-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
French authorities investigate if Jewish passengers were removed from flight due to religion
Published Jul 26, 2025 • 2 minute read A Vueling Airbus A321 approaches for landing in Lisbon at sunrise, while the moon sets in the background,, Feb. 7, 2023. Photo by Armando Franca / AP PARIS (AP) — French authorities are trying to establish whether a group of young French citizens were removed from a plane bound for Paris from Spain this week because they are Jewish. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The airline, Vueling, has denied the claims. Several dozen French passengers on Wednesday were kicked off a flight leaving the Spanish city of Valencia for Paris, for what Spanish police and the airline described as unruly behavior. France's ministry for Europe and foreign affairs said in a statement on Saturday that the minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, contacted the CEO of Vueling, Carolina Martinoli, to express his deep concern 'about the removal of a group of young French Jews from one of the company's flights.' Barrot also requested more information to 'determine whether these individuals had been discriminated against on the basis of their religion.' A similar request has been made to the Spanish ambassador to France. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Ms. Martinoli assured Mr. Barrot that a thorough internal investigation was underway and that its findings would be shared with the French and Spanish authorities,' the ministry said. Vueling previously denied reports that the incident, which involved the removal of 44 minors and eight adults from flight V8166, was related to the passengers' religion. Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students were Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online. Spain's Civil Guard said the minors and adults were French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the captain of the plane ordered the removal of the minors from the plane at Valencia's Manises Airport after they repeatedly ignored the crew's instructions. On Thursday, the Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain expressed concern about the incident. The group said that Vueling needed to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane. Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Columnists Toronto & GTA Toronto Blue Jays
