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.

Clearist footage showing the crash moment of Delta - Endevoir Air CRJ-900 Flight DL4819 from Minneapolis (MSP) to Toronto (YYZ) with registration N932XJ.
We will share the reports as soon as available. pic.twitter.com/4XRAdJt3c0

— aircraftmaintenancengineer (@airmainengineer) February 18, 2025

A video showed the plane bursting into flames as soon as it touched down on the runway, reported the Canadian Press. The flight skidded and flipped over seconds later.

Other videos showed passengers frantically exiting the plane with the assistance of flight crew and airport personnel following the crashed landing.

Though the cause of the crash remains unknown, a probe was launched Tuesday by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

TBS senior investigator Ken Webster has removed both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder for further analysis. The aircraft was also taken to a hangar for “further examination.”

Delta Air Lines plane crash-lands and overturns at Toronto Pearson Airport.

Airport reports Delta aircraft from Minneapolis experienced an ‘incident upon landing.’ pic.twitter.com/1bLXufRsWI

— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) February 17, 2025

At the time of the fiery crash, gusts hit upwards of 65km/h after heavy snowfall at Pearson International Airport.

No fatalities were reported, though 21 fliers, including children, were sent to nearby hospitals with minor injuries. 

Delta offered US$30,000 to each of the passengers with a $2.2 million “no strings attached” payout. Meanwhile, some passengers have already retained legal counsel to pursue further action.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was celebrating Canada’s win over Finland as part of an international hockey tournament between Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States. He did not issue a statement on the incident until several hours after the fact.

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