Chris Rocheleau fills the vacancy left by former FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, who stepped down then President Donald Trump took office again.

Following the catastrophe of Flight 5342, President Trump named an interim replacement for the vacant position of FAA administrator after the SpaceX founder chased out predecessor Mike Whitaker.

Complaints about the FAA's hiring policies resurfaced after the American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, killing 67 people in the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century.

During his Thursday press conference about the deadly Wednesday collision between a passenger jet and military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, President Donald Trump repeatedly suggested there was a link between the tragedy and diversity hiring policies at the Federal Aviation Administration.

A midair collision near D.C. has raised concerns over FAA staffing, prompting scrutiny of air traffic control and aviation safety oversight.

President Trump appointed Christopher Rocheleau, a 22-year FAA veteran, as acting administrator of the agency.

While that office may be ready to go to work, the FAA itself is not fully on the job. That’s because it’s without an administrator. Michael Whitaker, who had led the administration since Oct., 2023, stepped down earlier this month,

President Donald Trump says the Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday’s collision with a commercial plane over the Potomac River was “flying too high, by a lot.” The New York Times reported that the helicopters were flying above 300 feet instead of flying below 200 feet as approved and at least a half-mile off the

According to Reuters the FAA is restricting helicopter flights near DCA imposing significant limitations on Route 1 and Route 4 around the airport.

A midair collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said, as they search for answers in the nation's deadliest aviation disaster in nearly 25 years.