Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5, the court has determined that thi s opinion should not * be publishe d an d is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHE FIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 09- 50246 Su m m ar y Cal endar

JAM ES N YE RG ES P l a i n tiff - A p p ell a n t v. F ED ERALAVIAT I ON A DMI NI S T RA T I ON D efen da n t- A pp el l ee

A p p ea lf

rom the U n i tedS tates D i stri ct C ou rt f or t h e W est ern D i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. 7: 08- C V

- 172

B ef ore H IG G IN B O T H A M , C L E M E N T , an d S O U T H W IC K , C i rcui tJu dg es . P E R C U R IA M: * A pp el l an tJam e s N y e rges brough tt h i s Freed om of I n f orm ati on A ct ( “ FO IA” ) s ui t , s ee ki ng t o c om pelt he r el eas e o f doc um ent s f

r om t he Feder al Av ia tio n A d m in is tr a tio n (“F AA”). T h e d is tr ic t co u r t d is m is s e d th e a c tio n . W e A F F IR M

. F O IAd ir e c ts th a t fe d e r a la g e n c ie s m u s t r e le a s e ce r ta in in fo r m a tio n in
r es ponse t o r eques t s f r om t he p u b l i c. F ol l ow i ng t he deni alof a r eques t , an United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D Aug ust14, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 09- 50246

2 i n d ivid u a li s req u i red to ex h a u st th e fol l ow i n g p roce d u res b efore p roce ed i n g to th e d is tr ic t c o u r t: (A) E ach agen cy, up on an y requ estf or r ecords m ad e un der par agr aph ( 1) , ( 2) , or( 3) of t hi s subs ec t i on, s hal l– (i) deter m i n e w i t h i n 2 0 da ys (except i n g S aturda ys, Su n da ys, an d l egal pu bl i c hol i da ys) af t er th e rec ei pt of

an y such request w h e th e r to c o m p ly w ith su ch re q u e st a n dsh a llim m e d ia te ly n o tify t he pe r s o n m ak i ng s uc h r e questof s uc h de t e r m i nat i o n a nd t he r e as o ns t he r e f

o r e , a nd o f

t he r i ghtof such pe r s o n t o a ppe alt o t he he ado f t he a ge nc y anda dv e r s e de t e r m i nat i o n; a nd (ii) m a k e a de term i n a ti on w i th resp ect to an y a p p ea lw i th in tw e n tyd a y s (e x c e p tin gS a tu r d a y s , S u n d a y s , a n dle g a l p u b lic h ol i da ys) af

t er t h e rec ei pt of

such a pp eal

. I f

on ap pea lthe d en i alof t h e request f

or r ecords i s i n w h ol e or i n part u ph el d, t h e agen cy sha l lnoti f

y t h e person m ak i n g such request of t h e p ro v isi on s f

or ju d ic ia l re v ie w o f th a t d e te r m in a tio n u n d e rp a r a g r a p h (4 ) o f th is s u b s e c tio n . 5 U .S .C . § 5 5 2 (a )(6 )(A); Vo i n c h ev . F BI, 9 9 9 F .2d 9 6 2 , 9 6 3 (5t h C ir. 1 9 9 3 ). N yerges m ai n t a in s th at t h e f ol l ow i n g even t s f

u l f i l l ed the exh au st i on
r e quir e m e nt
. On Oc t o be r 27 , 20 08 , t he i ni t i al FO IA r e que s t w as f i l e d wi t h t he FAA

. O n N o v e m b e r3 , 2 0 0 8 , th e FAAre s p o n d e d , in fo r m in gN y e r g e s th a t h is
r e q u e s twa s b e i n gwi t h h e l du n d e rt h e P r iv a c yAc t
. Ny e r g e s a p p e a l e dt o t h e FAA Ad m i n i s t r a t o ro n No v e mb e r7 , 2 0 0 8
. O n No v e mb e r2 8 , 2 0 0 8 , t h e FAA A dm i n i st rat or advi sed N yerges t h at t h e FAASou t h w estR egi on ha d been i n st ructed t o respond t o h i s requ est
. T h e FAASou t h w estR egi on di d so by l et t er o n D e c e mb e r8 , 2 0 0 8
. T h e R e g i o n i n f o r me d N y e r g e s t h a t i t w a s p r o d u c i n gs o me o f th e re q u e s te d in fo r m a tio n a n dth a t r e c o n s id e r a tio n o f th e p a r tia l d e n ia l co u ld b e re q u e s te din w r itin gto th e FAAA d m in is tr a to rw ith in 3 0 d a y s . N yerges chose not t o seek f u rt h er c on si derati on . I n st ead , he sou gh trel i ef i n t h e di st ri ctcourt
. Th e di st ri ctcourtsubsequ en t l y di sm i ssed N yerges’ s act i on af t er det erm i n i n g t h at h e fai l ed t o exh au stt h e avail able ad m i n i st rat ive revi ewN o. 09- 50246

3 procedu res. W e revi ew t h e di st ri ctcourt ’ s grant of a m ot i on t o di sm i ss de no vo . I n reK at r i na CanalB r e ache s Li t ig. , 4 9 5 F .3 d1 9 1 , 2 0 5 (5 th C ir . 2 0 0 7 ). T h e pri m ary poi n tof contenti on i n t h i s c ase i s t h e ef fectof t h e l et t er f

rom t he FAA So ut hw e s t Reg i o n, da t e d D e c e m be r 8, 20 08
. N ye r ge s s ubm i t s t hatt he l et ter serves as t he f i nalw or d f

r om t he FAA

. O nce he r ec eived t he par t i al d e n i a l , h e wa s f

r e e t o p r o c e e dt o t h e d i s t r i c tc o u r t
. He a p p e a l e do n c e t o t h e FAA Adm i ni s t r at o ra s r e quir e d b y s t at ut e ; t he Adm i ni s t r at o rt o l d hi m t hatt he S o u th w e s t R e g io n w o u ldre s p o n dto h is re q u e s t. W e do n otacceptt h at ch aract eri zati on of t h e even t s. Th e Sou t h w est Reg i o n’ s l e t t e rc l e ar l y s t at ed t hatN ye r ge s s ho ul d s e e k r e c o ns i de r at i o n o f t he par t i aldeni alby w r i t i ng t o t he FAAA d m i ni st r at or . Far f r om be i ng a f

i nal
r ul i ng f r om t he F AAA dm i ni st r at or , the Sout hw es tR egi on’ s l et t err eve al ed t hat t h e f i n alrul i n g rem ai n ed the responsibi l i t y of t h e FAAA dm i n i st rat or. B ecau se N yerges fai l ed to com pl y w i t h t h e i n st ructi on s i nt h e Sou t h w estR egi on ’ s l et t er, f u rt h er and f

i n alrevi ew di d n otocc u r. T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t’s d e c is io n to d is m is s is A F F IR M E D

.