Delta Flight 4819 was not operated by all-female crew when it crashed
Delta refers to the captain as “he” and the first officer as “she,” indicating that the captain was male and the first officer was female
CLAIM
Flight 4819, which crashed in Toronto on February 17, was operated by an all-female crew.
BACKGROUND
At least 21 people were injured, three of them critically, when a Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, flipping onto its roof upon impact.
The Delta Air Lines Flight, operated by Endeavor Air, was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members when it crashed at around 2.15 p.m. local time.
Several weeks earlier, President Donald Trump blamed diversity requirements at the Federal Aviation Administration for the midair collision over Washington D.C.’s Potomac River in which killed 67 died.
Following the crash in Toronto, claims began to circulate online that Flight 4819 had been operated by an all-female crew, echoing Trump’s claims regarding diversity and quota hiring.
“Is delta focused on DEI hires?” one user on Instagram wrote.
“Endeavor is a 100% DEI staffed company with a heavy emphasis on all women crews,” another posted on X.
“New details emerge about The Toronto plane crash… Pilots and all crew members were female. That particular Delta flight was operated by Endeavor Air, a small airline focused on all-female “unmanned” flights and DEI.” another X used said.
The claims were accompanied by photos and videos from Endeavor Air’s social media accounts—an airline owned by Delta Air Lines—highlighting its promotion of female employees.
“Buckle up ladies and gentlemen, your flight is unmanned today. #girlpower,” one post on X by Endeavor Air from June 2022 read.
A TikTok video posted by the airline in honour of women’s history month was also shared alongside claims about an all-female crew.
METHOD
Although Endeavor Air posts videos and photos celebrating its female employees and all-female crews, a search across its social media platforms confirms that not all flights are operated exclusively by women.
For example, a post from March 2024 shows both men and women working for the airline.
In the aftermath of the crash, Delta Air Lines put out a statement regarding the flight and its crew, providing details about the captain and first officer.
While the air line does not name either individual, it refers to the captain using “he” and the first officer using “she,” indicating that the captain was male and the first officer was female.
“Mesaba Airlines, a progenitor company of Endeavor Air, hired the captain in October 2007. He has served both as an active duty Captain and in pilot training and flight safety capacities, ” Delta wrote of the captain.
“Hired in January 2024 by Endeavor Air and completed training in April. She has been flying for Endeavor since that time. Her flight experience exceeded the minimum requirements set by U.S. Federal regulations,” Delta said of the first officer.
RATING
The claim that the crew of Endeavor Air Flight 4819 was all female is false. While the airline celebrates its female employees and has previously operated flights with all-female crews, there is no evidence to suggest this was the case for Flight 4819. Furthermore, a statement from Delta refers to the captain as “he” and the first officer as “she,” indicating that the captain was male and the first officer was female.
SOURCES
New York Times (2025) Available at: Trump Blames D.E.I. and Biden for Crash Under His Watch [Accessed 26 Feb. 2025].
Instagram. (2025). Available at: Is delta focused on DEI hires? [Accessed 26 Feb. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: Endeavor is a 100% DEI staffed company with a heavy emphasis on all women crews [Accessed 26 Feb. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: Buckle up ladies and gentlemen, your flight is unmanned today. [Accessed 26 Feb. 2025].
TikTok (2025). Available at: In honor of women’s history month [Accessed 26 Feb. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: Endeavor people are the best of the best [Accessed 26 Feb. 2025].
www.news.delta.com Information about Endeavor Air 4819 flight crew [Accessed 26 Feb. 2025].