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

Mike Whitaker, unanimously confirmed as the FAA administrator in October 2023, stepped down early from his five-year term on Jan. 20 when Trump took office and for 10 days the FAA declined to say who was running the agency on an acting basis. Trump has not yet named a permanent candidate to replace Whitaker.

It appears that the first major air disaster in the U.S. since 2009 has occurred while the Federal Aviation Administration does not have a permanent leader.

A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., sending the two aircraft plummeting into the Potomac River.

The nation mourned its deadliest aviation accident in decades Thursday, a midair crash between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people in Washington, while President Trump blamed Democrats for enabling the tragedy with misguided diversity policies that he said put safety second.

Musk has publicly clashed with the FAA and its former chief, Michael Whitaker. The Federal Aviation Administration is facing its first major aviation disaster in 16 years without a leader because Elon Musk helped push him out.

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,

FAA: Reagan National Airport ... study suggests What we know after American Airlines plane crashes with Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C. I have $12K in my checking account and the bank teller just told me that’s too much — so how much should ...

Deadly mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., reignites concerns over air traffic congestion and safety risks at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

The tragedy in Washington is raising questions about air safety across the country including at Logan Airport, which served 43 million passengers last year -- making it one of the busiest airports in the United States.

There are many questions online about how the fatal crash between a passenger jet and Army helicopter. Here’s what we can VERIFY so far.