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.