Female and Minority Pilots Caused Half of Pilot-Error Crashes
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The piece discusses concerns about diversity and inclusion in the airline industry and its potential impact on passenger safety, as argued by Daniel Huff, a former White House lawyer. In a New York Post opinion, Huff contends that President Trump was right to rescind certain DEI efforts at the Federal aviation Administration. He claims that female and minority pilots, who make up about 10% of pilots, have been responsible for a disproportionate share of pilot-error crashes (four of eight as 2000), arguing that while the sample is small, rare crashes warrant scrutiny of who is at the controls. Huff cites the 2019 Atlas Air crash involving conrad Aska to illustrate concerns about training and performance under diversity-driven hiring. He also notes that many diversity-related safety incidents may go unreported or lack transparency. Huff argues for merit-based hiring to prioritize passenger safety, suggesting that the administration should enforce this approach before the next crash. In response, major carriers publicly emphasize that diversity is essential to their business, though the article frames the debate as a clash between safety priorities and DEI goals.
Daniel Huff, a former White House lawyer, noted in a recent analysis that the drive toward diversity and inclusion in the airline industry has put passengers at risk.
In an article for the New York Post, Huff wrote that President Donald Trump was right to rescind diversity efforts at the Federal Aviation Administration.
That’s because female and minority pilots — many of whom entered the industry amid a drive toward diversity among pilots — were responsible for half of pilot-error crashes.
Despite making up 10 percent of pilots, they were responsible for four out of eight such crashes since 2000.
“The sample size is small,” Huff wrote. “But precisely because crashes are so rare, the few times they occur it’s important to scrutinize who is at the controls; under DEI’s guiding principle of relying on statistical disparities, it’s certainly enough to raise questions.”
“It’s not that women and minorities are inherently unable to fly planes, but in practice, pressure for affirmative action too often leads airlines to lower their standards to meet quotas,” Huff added.
The attorney referenced the 2019 Atlas Air Crash as an example.
Conrad Aska, a black pilot, “panicked after accidentally initiating a go-around procedure and flew the plane into the ground,” Huff wrote.
There were signs that such behaviors were a risk even as he was training.
In simulator exercises, he would “get extremely flustered and could not respond appropriately.”
Even worse, not all diversity-driven safety incidents even reach the public eye.
“Most diversity disasters leave far-from-complete paper trails. Training failures happen behind closed doors. Near-misses can go unreported,” Huff wrote.
“Crashes can be blamed on mechanical failure, understaffing or other politically acceptable causes.”
Despite Trump’s moves to encourage merit-based hiring of pilots and other air travel personnel, major carriers insist on prioritizing diversity.
A senior Delta executive said in January 2025 that the firm is “steadfast” with respect to diversity, which is “critical to our business.”
United wants half of graduates to be women or minorities, while Southwest still commits to “recruit, hire, and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce.”
Huff contended that “airlines have a moral duty to put passenger safety first.”
“Since they lack the courage, the administration needs a strong enforcer to impose merit-first hiring before the next crash,” he advised.
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