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All 76 passengers and four crew members survived; on the X platform, formerly Twitter, some users spread claims about the pilots and their supposed lack of qualifications or experience after the crash.Ìý

"The pilot who landed the plane upside down at the Toronto Pearson Airport is a 26 year old female who just got certified as an Airline transport pilot last month," one X user with 38,000 likes that includes an image and name of the supposed pilot, whose identity has not been released.Ìý

Writing on X, a "leak purportedly shows the pilot in command of the Delta plane crash at Toronto International Airport received her pilot license only one month ago," in a post with more than 8,000 likes.Ìý

The user attached an image that shows a certificate for "airline transport pilot" issued to the supposed female pilot.Ìý

Other X users about the pilots' qualifications including .Ìý

Rating: Lacking evidence

The names of the captain and first officer of Flight 4819 have not been released, and any posts claiming to name them are speculation.Ìý

The image posted to X that shows a supposed "leak" of information about one of the alleged pilots is from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) , a public database listing pilots and their certificates.Ìý

Some online claims focused on the date of issuance for the alleged first officer's airline transport certificate, listed as Jan. 9, 2025 on the FAA website.

David Evans, a flight instructor and airline transport pilot with FAA certification, said the certification date reflects when it was issued and could change if a pilot updates their address or loses their certificate.Ìý

"It doesn't automatically mean that's when this pilot was issued her original licence," Evans said.Ìý

He added online claims about the pilots' qualifications or experience is speculation.Ìý

The aircraft involved in the Flight 4819 crash was operated by Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.  

In a , Delta said it hired the first officer in January 2024 and she completed her training in April of that year and had been flying since then – not since January 2025.Ìý

"Her flight experience exceeded the minimum requirements set by U.S. Federal regulations. Assertions that she failed training events are false," the airline said.Ìý

Delta said the flight's captain, hired in 2007, did not fail training as some claimed and did not "fail to flow into a pilot position at Delta Air Lines due to training failures."

"Both crew members are qualified and FAA certified for their positions," Delta said.Ìý

The , which represents around 79,000 pilots at U.S. and ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø airlines, referred ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø to Delta's statement.Ìý

It said the information provided in the statement is what the U.S. Transportation Safety Board has authorized for release regarding the crew members.Ìý

Was the Delta first officer experienced?

Evans said people speculating online about the pilots' qualifications are misinformed about what it takes to become a pilot.Ìý

"You have to amass 1,500 hours of flight time … then you have to pass a check ride with the FAA," he said.Ìý

"It takes most pilots quite a few years to get to the airline transport pilot level. It doesn't happen in a month. It doesn't happen in six months. It happens over the course of several years," Evans said.Ìý

He said claims the first officer started flying only one month ago are false.

Once pilots reach their required 1,500 hours they will often get hired by an airline "and that company will help them get their airline transport pilot certificate, and that's the way a lot of people go," Evans said.

There are different paths to earning an airline transport pilot certificate, "but you still have to get the requisite pilot experience. There's no way around that," he said.Ìý

Some social media users pointed to the "limits" placed on the alleged first officer by the FAA as evidence of her lack of experience or qualifications to fly the aircraft.Ìý

Limits include "HOLDER DOES NOT MEET THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND AERONAUTICAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF ICAO," referring to the , and "THE CL-65 IS SUBJECT TO PILOT-IN-COMMAND LIMITATION(S)."

This does not mean the first officer was unqualified for her position, Evans pointed out.

"She wasn't pilot in command … the captain was. If she was at the controls or if she's on the flight deck assisting the operation, she was operating within the privileges of her certificate," Evans said.Ìý

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada began its investigation into the crash Feb. 17.Ìý

In a Feb. 18 , senior investigator Ken Webster said it's "far too early" to determine what caused the accident.Ìý

Sources

X posts shared Feb. 20, 2025 (), Feb. 19, 2025 (), Feb. 20, 2025 () and Feb. 19, 2025 ()

Airmen Inquiry search page, Federal Aviation Administration , accessed Feb. 21, 2025 ()

, Delta , Feb. 20, 2025 ()

Air Line Pilots Association , accessed Feb. 21, 2025 ()

, flight instructor and airline transport pilot with FAA certification, interviewed Feb. 21, 2025 

International Civil Aviation Organization , accessed Feb. 21, 2025 ()

TSB issues investigation update on the Delta/Toronto occurrence (A25O0021), TSBCanada, , Feb. 18, 2025 (, )

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