PALMDALE, Calif. — On a seemingly routine September evening at Gray Butte Airfield, tragedy struck when Stephanie Cosme, a 32-year-old testing engineer and civilian contractor, lost her life to an aircraft’s rotating propeller during ground testing of a MQ-9A Reaper drone. Initial reports stated that Cosme had failed to adhere to protocol, but subsequent investigations and a lawsuit filed by her family tell a more complex and disturbing story.
Cosme, employed by Air Force contractor Sumaria Systems, LLC, was described as not following proper procedures at the time of her accident. However, her family doubted this oversimplified explanation from the beginning, prompting a waiting period of eight months for more details about the incident.
Findings from the U.S. Air Force Aircraft Accident Investigation Board later revealed crucial missteps in her training. Reports indicated that her trainer hastened through the instructional process and did not properly guide her on how to execute data readings, among other failures.
Further exacerbating the situation, Cosme’s death has stirred allegations of discriminatory practices against her. Her family’s lawsuit alleges that a pattern of gender and racial discrimination at Sumaria Systems, specifically targeting Cosme due to her Hispanic background, contributed significantly to the unsafe conditions that led to her fatal accident. They claim that the testing director, Derek Kirkendall, was not only dismissive but hostile toward Hispanic employees.
Legal representatives for Sumaria Systems and Kirkendall have denied these allegations, asserting that all claims will be addressed within the legal courts. The lawsuit mentions that Cosme was tasked with dangerous roles on the day of her death, isolated from her team, which the family’s lawyers argue was part of a broader discriminatory treatment that ultimately endangered her life.
Despite these serious charges, the official Air Force report does not list racial or gender discrimination as factors in Cosme’s death. Yet, attorneys Justin Green and Debra Katz emphasize that witness testimonies from the Air Force investigation suggest otherwise. They argue that Kirkendall’s actions—such as assigning Cosme to trivial tasks under hazardous conditions without proper communication means—were grossly negligent.
The complexities of proving gender discrimination posthumously introduce significant challenges in legal proceedings, as noted by Jennifer Mondino of the TIME UP’s Legal Defense Fund. When the individual affected is no longer alive to testify, gathering adequate evidence and witness testimonies becomes even more challenging.
In a poignant reflection of their loss, Cosme’s family expressed their ongoing grief and frustration over the circumstances surrounding her death. Ahead of what would have been a joyful chapter in her life, getting married, her family now seeks justice for the alleged failings that abruptly ended her life. Demanding a jury trial and unspecified damages, the lawsuit is a plea for accountability and a deterrent against similar occurrences in the future.
Stephanie Cosme, described by those who knew her as both calm and energetic, had pursued engineering against considerable odds, driven by the example of her father, Mario Cosme, and her passion for the field. The loss expressed by her family underscores the depth of her impact on their lives and the devastating void left by her untimely death.
The family buried Cosme in her wedding dress, altered to cover the wounds of the tragedy—a stark and somber symbol of a life and potential unfulfilled due to circumstances they allege could have been prevented.
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