US FAA chief resigns over drunk drive charge

[trof]

Source: Reuters


By John Crawley

WASHINGTON | Wed Dec 7, 2011 5:58am EST

(Reuters) - The top U.S. aviation safety official resigned on Tuesday over a drunken driving charge, leaving the Obama administration without a seasoned leader to oversee key legislative and policy initiatives.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement that he had accepted Federal Aviation Administration FAA.L chief Randy Babbitt's resignation one day after the case became public.

Babbitt, 65, was pulled over by police on Saturday night in suburban Virginia for driving on the wrong side of the road. He was charged with drunken driving and released, pending a February court appearance.

A former pilot and union official, Babbitt said he would not "let anything cast a shadow" over the FAA, but did not mention the arrest.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/07/uk-usa-faa-babbitt-idUSLNE7B601Q20111207

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I know him. He was president of my former union (ALPA) for several years. Former Eastern Airlines pilot.

[trof]

1. woops...dupe

Sorry 'bout that.

[Ian David]

2. Over drunk driving charge?

"No, I'll never be over drunk driving charge."

[cpamomfromtexas]

3. Guess the ATA had him a bit stressed about the proposed

flight time duty time regulations. ATA insisted they would need more pilots if the recommended restrictions were imposed. That would be problematic for them since no one wants to work for peanuts now.

I'm sure he'll end up working for them now.

[alp227]

4. Randy Babbitt, US aviation chief, resigns over drink driving charge

Source: The Guardian

Randy Babbitt, the chief of America's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), resigned on Tuesday over a drunken driving charge.

Babbitt, 65, had been placed on a leave of absence as officials pondered how to handle the fallout from the weekend arrest of a man who is arguably the world's most senior air safety regulator.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated after a patrol officer allegedly saw him driving on the wrong side of the street and pulled him over at approximately10.30pm on Saturday in Fairfax City, a suburb of Washington DC.

Babbitt, who lives in nearby Reston, Virginia, was halfway through a five-year term at the FAA, which is part of the US transportation department.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/06/randy-babbitt-resigns-dui-charge

[Fumesucker]

5. Should have taken the chopper, Randy..

Tsk, tsk, is our officials learning?

:shrug:

[Dennis Donovan]

6. Terrible way to end a career... although a much worse way would've been...

...if he pulled this when he was an airline pilot.

[Ian David]

7. A pilot with a drinking problem?

Guess he's not over Macho Grande.

[Purveyor]

8. This is the right decision. eom

[msanthrope]

9. Cabs in DC are as expensive as fuck, Randy--but don't DUI!!!!

Have a plan!!!

[James48]

10. Very sad.

He was my boss- the best one I've had in 20 years in the FAA.

He will be sadly missed.

[harmonicon]

11. If he wasn't on the job, who gives a shit?

Ok, I know the answer - many self-righteous, holier-than-thou people give a shit, but only because they can feel superior. Would he have to resign if he were jay-walking? Littering? "Oh, but this is more serious!! Whaa!!" It's also irrelevant to his job.