(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Yes—80 people nearly lost their lives aboard a Toronto-bound plane that crashed while landing on Monday, but at least one of the pilots was a woman. Because who needs a safe plane when you have diversity and inclusion?
On Wednesday, an X user named “Indian Bronson” alleged he received information that the pilot of Delta Connection Flight 4819 was a “woman who just got her ATP,” or Airline Transport Pilot. His post has since garnered more than 2.3 million views.
Dr. Houman David Hemmati, a Fox News guest, echoed Indian Bronson’s reporting, affirming the name of the pilot was Kendal Swanson, a former instructor pilot for a small propellor aircraft.
Headline USA could not independently verify these claims and the gender and qualifications of the second pilot remain private.
✈️ The Delta/Endeavor plane that crashed was piloted by Kendal Swanson.
A year ago, she was an instructor pilot for a small propellor aircraft. Recently licensed to co-pilot a small jet.
Captain, who had a questionable record himself, may have erred trusting her to land the… pic.twitter.com/d6chYkPRg6
— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) February 19, 2025
The FO was flying, was a female pilot, and had just gotten her ATP
Glad no one was hurt https://t.co/nXPlmbT1kx
— ib (@Indian_Bronson) February 19, 2025
The criticism for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion stems from allegations that citizens are paying the price for industries, like aviation, prioritizing inclusion over merit and expertise.
Seemingly addressing these concerns, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said on Wednesday that the flight crew on board was experienced.
“There is one level of safety at Delta,” Bastian told CBS News. “All these pilots train for these conditions. They fly under all kinds of conditions at all of the airports in which we operate. So, no, there’s nothing specific with respect to experience that I’d look to.”
Flight 4819 took off from Minneapolis and headed to Toronto, carrying 76 passengers and four crew members.
During landing, the plane’s abrupt touchdown caused it to lose one of its wings and slide sideways. As it lost balance, the other wing tore off, bursting the plane in flames. The aircraft eventually slid upside down, according to viral video of the crash.
Miraculously, all 80 passengers made it out alive.
Delta has yet to identify the pilots. Instead, it is offering $30,000 to each passenger following the crash, though it claims the payment comes with no strings attached.
🚨 JUST IN: Delta Air Lines is now offering a $30,000 payoff to victims of their plane crash, just two days after it occurred
Are they trying to pay people off to get ahead of the impending DEI pilot revelations?
Delta & operator Endeavor, famous for their “all female crews,”… pic.twitter.com/HBtEVXtxoH
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 19, 2025
