Randy Babbit, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, resigned his post on Tuesday—three days after his arrest for driving under the influence in Fairfax, Virginia. Babbit, in a press release on the FAA’s website, stated:
Today I submitted my resignation to Secretary Ray LaHood and it has been accepted. Serving as FAA Administrator has been an absolute honor and the highlight of my professional career. 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.
Babbit’s (bio here) resignation marks a dramatic turn to what had otherwise been an illustrative career as a pilot, president of the Air Line Pilots Association—the pilots’ union his father helped start—as well as a consultant to the airline industry.
