FAA head on leave after DWI arrest in Va.

Last Updated 2:07 p.m. ET

FAIRFAX, Va. - The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration has been charged with driving while intoxicated, reports CBS Affiliate WUSA.

Jerome Randolph Babbitt, 65, was arrested on Saturday.

City of Fairfax Police said at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, an officer saw a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road on Old Lee Highway and initiated a traffic stop.

The officer determined that Babbit was under the influence of alcohol.

Babbitt was transported to the Adult Detention Center and placed on a personal recognizance bond.

Babbitt was the only person in the car, wasn't involved in a crash, and fully cooperated with the officer, police said.

In a statement released Monday the Department of Transportation said, "DOT officials learned of FAA Administrator Babbitt's arrest on Saturday night within the last hour. Administrator Babbitt has requested, effective immediately, to take a leave of absence from the FAA. That request has been granted, and Deputy Administrator Michael Huerta will serve as acting administrator.

"DOT officials are in discussions with legal counsel about Administrator Babbitt's employment status," the statement said.

Babbitt was sworn in as head of FAA in 2009, having previous served as chairman of the agency's Management Advisory Council, which provides guidance on such topics as air traffic modernization and regulatory policy.

Babbitt was a pilot with Eastern Airlines for 25 years, and was President of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). He was also a partner at Oliver Wyman, an international management consulting firm.

[longtree-2009]

if he was on company time, fire him and let the law deal with him. if he was on his own time, let the law judge and punish him then upon his return simply demote him with a cut in salary.

[Clfleyer]

http://www.faa.gov/about/key_officials/babbitt/

[nancy_naive]

8 hours bottle to throttle...

[talkin2u]

You're government servants at work!

[retm-w]

Now if he was a politician you would never hear anything about it. A mayor in our area got one a few weeks ago, it was mentioned on the news and that was the end of it. A small article in the paper a few days later said the charge was reduced, to going left of center.

[FreshxWater]

If this story is reported by the Corporate Media than you know they're corrupt because they didn't report on:

Wall Street Walmart heiress DUIs in Texas, the Sheriff tries to cover it up. 1998, in drunken binge she murders a mother of two children. Not one word ever reported by the Wall Street Corporate Media. The 99% have had enough!
www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/14/walmart-heiress-spends-birthday-in-jail-for-dwi/
www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20120165-504083.html?tag=mncol;lst;2

(Notice that CBSnews.com is about the only Corporate Media that reported this for more than 1 minute. Most never reported it.)

[canislupus16]

This is not going to bode well for his career.

[wolfmagic2012]

And this is headline news Why?

[highflyer8]

Because if you get a DWI you also lose your pilot's license - not a good thing for the head of the FAA!!!!!