Amid allegations that Delta Airlines has been hiding the details of the pilots of the Delta plane that crash-landed on the snow-covered tarmac at Toronto Pearson Airport Monday. the airlines revealed new information about the pilots, Fox News reported dismissing speculations that they were not trained adequately or that they failed training events — claims which are viral on social media. Delta however did not reveal the name of the pilots though it did not counter social media claims that the captain was James and the first officer was Kendal Swanson.
The airline said that the captain was hired in October 2007 by Mesaba Airlines and served as an active duty captain and in pilot training and safety capacities. In 2012, Mesaba Airlines merged with Pinnacle Airlines and Endeavor Air was created. The Delta plane that crash-landed and turned upside down was operated by Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta. Endeavor is known for its push for gender diversity and in the aftermath of the mishap, social media users claimed the accident happened because it was an all-woman crew.
Without directly addressing the gender rumors, Delta proved it false as it asserted that the captain was male. “Assertions that he failed training events are false. Assertions that he failed to flow into a pilot position at Delta Air Lines due to training failures are also false,” the airline said in a statement about the captain.
About the first officer, Delta said that claims that she failed training events are false. Endeavor Air hired the first officer in January 2024 and she has been flying with the airline since she completed her training in April. Her flight experience time exceeded minimum federal requirements, the airline said without revealing the name but it was possibly about Kendal Swanson.
Both the captain and first officer are “qualified and FAA certified for their positions,” the airline said.
No fatality was reported but Delta announced that it would be offering $30,000 to each of the victims.