Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg clapped back at tech mogul Elon Musk over allegedly misleading statements regarding federal interference with flights delivering aid to Hurricane Helene victims.
Musk had shared a screenshot of a chat where someone claimed airspace was “shut down” and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was “throttling flights.”
“The level of belligerent government incompetence is staggering!!” Musk tweeted.
In response, Buttigieg quickly denied the billionaires assertions and offered him a direct line of communication.
“No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights. If you’re encountering a problem give me a call,” Buttigieg countered.
“There are hundreds of reports of FEMA/FAA blocking flights. This literally just happened,” Musk argued.
An hour later he tweeted, “Still waiting … the helicopter is trying to land to deliver critical supplies. What’s the number to call?”
The call apparently happened, because Musk publicly thanked Buttigieg for having private conversation with him.
“Thanks for the call. Hopefully, we can resolve this soon,” the Starlink CEO posted.
The situation was resolved by Friday evening, when Musk wrote, “Thanks for helping simplify the FAA NOTAM. Support flights are now underway. Much appreciated.”
Musk’s grievances against the government’s relief response extended to accusations against the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) alleged actions toward Starlink.
In another post, Musk cited a note from a SpaceX engineer on the ground in North Carolina, claiming FEMA was seizing shipments and claiming them as their own.
The engineer described efforts to deploy Starlink units and airlift supplies were thwarted by FEMA’s interference.
“We’ve deployed 300+ starlinks and outpour is it has saved many lives. The big issue is FEMA is actively blocking shipments and seizing goods and services locally and locking them away to state they are their own,” the engineer’s note read.
“It’s very real and scary how much they have taken control to stop people helping,” the Starlink employee added. “We are blocked now on the shipments of new starlinks coming in until we get an escort from the fire dept. but that may not be enough.”
“@FEMA is not merely failing to adequately help people in trouble, but is actively blocking citizens who try to help!” Musk stated.
He also alleged that SpaceX engineers’ attempts to deliver Starlink terminals and supplies were being hindered by FEMA, describing the situation as “unconscionable.”
Musk posted a video showing the devastation in North Carolina, adding, “@FEMA wouldn’t let them land to deliver critical supplies … my blood is boiling.”
However, just a day earlier, FEMA reported distributing over 60 Starlink units to aid Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, including 40 units sent to North Carolina, with additional units on the way.
They highlighted Starlink’s role in providing emergency communication, citing successful deployments in other disaster-hit areas like Guam, Hawaii, and Alaska.
FEMA stated they have over 500 personnel in North Carolina, offering aid to more than 2,100 survivors.
