Stephanie Cosme, a 32-year-old testing engineer working for Air Force contractor Sumaria Systems, LLC, tragically lost her life during ground testing on a MQ-9A Reaper drone in California on Sept. 7, 2023. The U.S. Air Force Aircraft Accident Investigation Board's report revealed that her trainer's rushed instructions and failure to properly guide Cosme contributed to the accident.
However, a lawsuit filed by Cosme's family alleges a darker motive behind her death. They claim that the testing director, Derek Kirkendall, engaged in a campaign of gender and racial discrimination against Cosme, who was of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent. The lawsuit contends that Kirkendall isolated Cosme, assigned her dangerous tasks, and made derogatory remarks, ultimately creating unsafe conditions that led to her death.
