FAA Head’s DUI Leads to Job Loss

In Hollywood, a DUI arrest has become a publicity opportunity, but in many career fields, it’s still a liability (thankfully!). The Department of Transportation is certainly one of those fields.

His alleged lack of judgment didn’t take place in the air, but it still cost Federal Aviation Administrator Randy Babbitt his job. Babbitt resigned this week, just three days after he was arrested on a drunk driving charge near his suburban Washington, DC home. While he didn’t speak publically, he did release a brief statement to the media announcing that he submitted his resignation to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Babbitt’s boss.

If anyone understands the dangers of driving or flying while impaired, it’s Babbitt. The 65-year-old is a former airline pilot and president of a major pilots’ union, said serving as FAA administrator had been "the highlight of my professional career," adding, "But I am unwilling to let anything cast a shadow on the outstanding work done 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by my colleagues at the FAA." Missing from his statement was any reference to his arrest, although they were obviously related.

Earlier in the day, Secretary LaHood told reporters he had learned about Babbitt's arrest only after the Fairfax City, Virginia, police department issued a news release about the incident. Fairfax City police arrested Babbitt late Saturday night after they allegedly saw Babbitt driving on the wrong side of the road. Babbitt was alone in the car, and was cooperative, police said. The police department also said Babbitt failed a sobriety test, but they did not release the results of any blood-alcohol test.

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