Summary
The FAA is facing a leadership vacuum amid a major aviation disaster after former administrator Michael Whitaker resigned on January 20th, following clashes with Elon Musk.
Musk, angered by FAA fines against SpaceX, publicly called for Whitaker’s resignation.
The crisis intensified after an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet in Washington, D.C., killing all on board.
Trump has appointed Chris Rocheleau as acting FAA administrator, with Musk reportedly influencing government staffing decisions.
The FAA also struggles with underfunding and air traffic control staffing shortages.
It still seems kind of insane to have a helicopter at 200 ft. and a plane in the same place at 500 ft. - since the helicopter and plane only need to be at slightly different altitudes from that to crash, which of course is exactly what happened.