US President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders, one appointing a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator, the other ordering an immediate assessment of aviation safety.
The orders were issued following the catastrophic midair collision between an American Eagle regional jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), resulting in the presumed deaths of all 67 on board the two aircraft.
On January 30, 2025, during a press briefing at the White House, President Trump announced the appointment of Chris Rocheleau as the new Acting Administrator of the FAA. The National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) stated that Rocheleau will serve in this role until the Senate confirms Trump’s nominee for the permanent position.
“Chris is an outstanding leader who will be good for the FAA, good for aviation and good for the country, especially at this challenging time,” said Ed Bolen, NBAA President and CEO.
Rocheleau joins the FAA after three years as the NBAA Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining NBAA in 2022, Rocheleau held multiple roles at the FAA during more than 20 years with the agency.
He served as Acting Associate Administrator for aviation safety, Chief of Staff, Assistant Administrator for Policy, International Affairs and Environment, Executive Director for International Affairs and Director of the Office of Emergency Operations and Investigations, the statement continued.
Before his time at the FAA, Rocheleau served as an officer and special agent with the United States Air Force (USAF), retiring from the USAF Reserve in 2010 as a lieutenant colonel.
On the same day, Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum calling for an immediate assessment of aviation safety, saying that the collision “tragically underscores the need to elevate safety and competence as the priority of the FAA”.
“I am further ordering the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the FAA to review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior four years, and to take such corrective action as necessary to achieve uncompromised aviation safety, including the replacement of any individuals who do not meet qualification standards,” Trump’s Memorandum reads.
The Secretary and the Administrator shall take “all actions necessary to reverse concerning safety and personnel trends during the prior four years, instill an unwavering commitment to aviation safety, and ensure that all Americans fly with peace of mind,” Trump’s statement concluded.
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The FAA has been navigating/operating for years on an out-dated Nav Database, on autopilot, and now the system is starting to break-down with greater speed and more dire consequences.
The same can be said for most of aviation. We have been lucky, however now the experience drain is nearly finished and there is very little experience remaining in the system. Near-collisions (near-miss is just silly) have been occurring with shocking regularity, and nothing has been done.
So now, as usual, we finally have a significant loss of life and something drastic and likely over-corrected will happen.