Survivor's Fateful Encounter with Toronto Plane Crash: His Skiing Skills Aided in Capturing the Incident on Camera
Freak Survival: The Crisis on Flight 4819
Pete Koukov, a content creator, shares his harrowing experience on the ill-fated Delta Flight 4819.
The Minnesota-bound plane, bound for Toronto, seemed normal as it prepared to land. But then, suddenly, Koukov believed his life was on the line.
Witnessing a disaster that would leave 80 lives hanging by a thread, Koukov's video gave the world a glimpse into the devastating aftermath of February's Delta Flight 4819 crash. With over 244 million views on Instagram, spectators watched him miraculously escape the wreckage, carefully descending onto the snowy runway, only to turn and reveal the mutilated fuselage, missing its wings.
"Holy shit!" he exclaims on the video, "Jesus Christ. Yo, I was just on this goddamn plane!"
When asked about his decision to start recording during this harrowing situation, he admitted it was instinctual, especially considering his background as a skier, accustomed to capturing high-risk moments.
"I was almost the best person to be taking a video in that situation," he told CNN Sports, regretfully using his choice of words heard on the clip. "Because we film each other all the time, you get really good at it when your hands are cold, you get pretty good at pulling (the camera) out quick. Although I was in a very stressful situation, it wasn't anything that I knew I wasn't able to do..."
It was only when he saw the exterior of the plane that he somehow felt slightly safe.
"There were moments of 'Are we going to blow up? Is there going to be a fire?' Until I was off the plane, that's when it was like 'OK, I can breathe,'" he said.
Koukov's social media feed is filled with his danger-seeking adventures in skiing, a unique blend of skateboarding, parkour, and alpine sports. He masterfully navigates urban structures and narrow passages, even skiing down the steep side of a church building in South Dakota, claiming that climbing up it was the scariest thing he'll ever do.
His daring background has turned him into a versatile content creator, excelling in filming, editing, producing, and directing. He told CNN that skiing is so niche and small that one must multitask to stand out.
While he wouldn't label himself an adrenaline junkie, he acknowledges an affinity for recreational risks - "and that's what makes it fun."
But his adrenaline-filled role in the crash has left him with mixed feelings.
"It almost feels like a separate world," he explained, reflecting on watching another video of the runway crash. "I'll even see the side-view perspective and it's really hard for me to put myself (there) and be, like, 'I was actually on that plane.'
"It doesn't really translate. It doesn't really make sense to me. It was hard to believe while it was happening, and it's even hard to believe now."
His plans to shoot content for the skiing magazine Browser in Toronto were cut short by a back injury sustained in the crash. He's been told to stay off his skis for a while, though he anticipates that the crash won't change his approach to skiing or its inherent risks.
"I travel a lot for skiing," he said. "And I don't think I'll ever be able to feel the same again, that's for sure."
Despite the close call, Koukov returned home to Denver shortly after the event, believing it helped him cope with the traumatic experience by not allowing it to sink in.
"If I had waited the original three weeks, I think maybe it would have been worse," he said.
Perhaps his experiences with risky sports have equipped him to handle the psychological impact of this incident. Koukov has been embracing extreme activities like skiing and mountain biking since his youth.
"It's a challenge to overcome something, that's why we do it. You land something you didn't necessarily think you could do, and nothing really beats that feeling. It's good to scare yourself!" he said.
In 1898, Winston Churchill famously penned, "Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result." Koukov admitted that he hadn't heard the quote before, but after pondering the idea for a moment, he found a parallel in his own experiences.
"It's a pretty neat feeling to feel like I should have died and didn't. I don't know if it's necessarily a good feeling or not. It's a grateful feeling," he said.
"I'm not saying that the tricks I do on skis are deadly by any means, but there's always consequence, and I've always kind of gravitated towards the fact that there's consequence, and that's what makes it enjoyable."
Note: This article references incidents that took place in 2023, but as of March 2023, the actual crash occurred in 2025.
Additional Information:
- Delta Flight 4819 Crash: The incident took place on February 17, 2025, and involved a Bombardier CRJ900 operated by Endeavor Air. Despite the severity of the crash, all 80 passengers survived. Source 1
- Investigations: The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), along with other agencies like the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, are investigating the crash. Initial observations suggest that challenging weather conditions and a hard landing might have contributed to the accident. Source 1
- Lawsuits: Two passengers have filed negligence lawsuits against Delta Air Lines, alleging significant emotional and physical injuries under the Montreal Convention. Source 2
Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5
- Despite the adrenaline-filled role he played in the Delta Flight 4819 crash, Pete Koukov admitted that he found it hard to believe he was on the mutilated plane, even when watching a side-view perspective of the runway crash.
- On CNN Sports, Pete Koukov spoke about his regretful use of words when describing his decision to start recording the harrowing situation on Delta Flight 4819, stating that it was instinctual due to his background as a skier.
- After the crash, Pete Koukov's daring background and his affinity for recreational risks left him with mixed feelings, and he acknowledged that the incident felt like a separate world.
