FAA chief resigns over drunken driving charge

Federal Aviation Administration head Randy Babbitt is seen in this Fairfax County Sheriff's booking photograph released to Reuters on December 5, 2011. REUTERS/Fairfax County Sheriff's Office/Handout

Federal Aviation Administration head Randy Babbitt is seen in this Fairfax County Sheriff's booking photograph released to Reuters on December 5, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Fairfax County Sheriff's Office/Handout

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WASHINGTON | Tue Dec 6, 2011 6:16pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. aviation safety official resigned on Tuesday over a drunken driving charge.

Randy Babbitt said in a statement that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had accepted his resignation from his post as the head of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Babbitt, 65, was arrested on Saturday in Fairfax, Virginia, and charged with driving while intoxicated.

A former pilot and union official, Babbitt has led the FAA since 2009.

Babbitt did not mention his arrest in the statement, but said he would not "let anything cast a shadow" over the FAA.

"I am confident in their ability to successfully carry out all of the critical safety initiatives underway and the improvements that the FAA has planned," Babbitt said.

LaHood called Babbitt a "dedicated public servant" and credited him with improving relations with the air controllers union and introducing new pilot training guidelines.

(Reporting by John Crawley; editing by Mohammad Zargham)
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Comments (3)
HAL.9000 wrote:
Apparently he was getting paid too much.

Dec 06, 2011 5:49pm EST  --  Report as abuse
markcwells wrote:
It’s too bad someone has to resign over a DUI. They are fairly commonplace. Half the people I knwo have had one at some point. If this is his 3rd or 4th, then it’s probably a good idea. But if it’s his first (and only) DUI, he shouldn’t resign.

I’m not condoning drinking and driving, but when it comes to DUI we are a nation of hypocrites. People talk about how bad it is at cocktail parties then drive home at twice the legal limit. The legal limit of .08 may be falling down drunk for a teenager, but for an adult with a tolerace for alcohol, it’s a mild buzz.

Dec 06, 2011 6:31pm EST  --  Report as abuse
gordo365 wrote:
Why can’t he just pay a small fine and not admit guilt like Citibank, BofA and others?

Dec 06, 2011 6:37pm EST  --  Report as abuse
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