Dozy:
I'm at a bit of a loss as to what aterpster is trying to say about NTSB hiring practices.
Let me help:
The NTSB has hired some fine female aviation investigators. They are cut from the same cloth as the male investigators of times past; i.e., they had flying in their blood and aviation experience when they hired on at the Board.
In more recent years this pool of qualified female candidates became depleted. So, to fill quotas the Board hired females to be aviation investigators who had zip aviation background. They were given aviation training at government expense.
The product of this program is a range of newer investigators who work from home and often don't even go to the accident site because they don't like either the effort or the gore.