Deadly US jet crash sparks gender row

NASA chief Jared Isaacman has defended the 20-year-old female copilot against claims she was hired because of DEI policies A deadly private jet crash in Florida has sparked a row over diversity hiring policies after social media users alleged that a 20-year-old female copilot was hired because of her gender rather than her qualifications.All nine people aboard the Learjet 60 were killed when it plummeted onto a road in a residential neighborhood on Sunday, just miles from US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Footage of the crash and recordings of the crew’s final radio communications were shared widely across social media.NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has rejected the unsubstantiated claims and defended the copilot, Nathalia Filgueiras.“I feel compelled to post after seeing commentary about the Lear 60 crash, from missile strikes to DEI to critiquing this poor woman’s final radio calls,” Isaacman, who has logged more than 8,000 flight hours, wrote on X on Monday.Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies seek to expand opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women, who remain a small minority in US aviation. According to official figures for 2025, wo...