Subhead:The airline confirmed a qualified captain (male) and first officer (female) flew Delta Flight 4819. Their identities have not been confirmed as of writing.#
Delta Air Lines refuted online speculation that poor training and diversity hiring practices downed a Toronto flight carrying 76 passengers. Endeavour Air Flight 4819 from Minneapolis crashed upon landing February 17 at around 2:30 p.m. EST at Pearson International Airport.
The pilots at the helm of the Mitsubishi CRJ900 are both qualified and FAA certified in their positions, Delta said in a statement.
Alleged claims to the contrary are “false and misleading,” writes the airliner, who also rejected that their DEI hiring practices played a contributing factor.
The pilot behind the dramatic Delta crash that flipped a plane upside down at Toronto Pearson Airport has been identified as 26-year-old First Officer Kendal Swanson.
A Minnesota beauty pageant winner who completed her training just last April with under 1,500 flight hours.
The… pic.twitter.com/fqv5hqNIyL
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) February 22, 2025
One social media account claims the pilots behind the dramatic Delta crash were First Officer Kendal Swanson, 26, and James Henneman, a more experienced captain.
Swanson, a Minnesota beauty pageant winner, reportedly completed her flight training last April with under 1,500 flight hours. At the time of the crash, Henneman was allegedly handling communications while Swanson piloted.
Delta Air Lines has yet to confirm the identities of the pilots pending an investigation into the flight nor the circumstances which led to its downing.
However, the airline did confirm that the first officer had joined the company in April 2024. “She has been flying for Endeavor since that time,” Delta said. “Assertions that she failed training events are false.”
The “experienced” flight captain has flown with Endeavor Air since 2007, reads a media statement.
