On Thursday, President Donald Trumpannounced that he appointed Chris Rocheleau, a former senior aviation official, as acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).Rocheleau will be handling the response to the deadly collision Wednesday night of an American Airlines plane with an Army Black Hawk helicopter that sent both plunging into the Potomac River. He will serve in the position until President Trumps nominee is confirmed by the Senate.Michael Whitaker, the FAAs most recent administratora 30-year aviation industry veteran, who was unanimously confirmed as FAA administrator by the Senate in October 2023resigned on January 20, as President Trump took office, following continued public criticism from Elon Musk, Trumps close adviser, who called on Whitaker to resign. Muskss issues with Whitaker were personal, having to do with fines the Whitaker-led FAA proposed on SpaceX, Musks space-technology company, over alleged government violations in two of its rocket launches.Rocheleau has more than two decades of experience working for the FAA, serving in multiple roles, including 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. Most recently, he served as an executive at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).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 NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen in a statement. He has demonstrated excellence at every level in the government, military, and aviation industry.The American Airlines regional jet that collided with the Army helicopter had 67 people on board, including several figure skaters, among them 1994 world championsEvgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.On Thursday, the president falsely blamed adiversity push at the FAAfor the midair collision, even blaming Democrats for their policies. Tennessee Garvey, a pilot and the chair of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, has pushed back against President Trumps comments.The plane wreckage is currently being housed in Hangar 7 at Reagan airport. A preliminary report into the investigation is expected to be released in a month.