i-A * + nM< ! 0)001/00 7 n/29/201 0 11:1 5 FA X 202493514 2 FA A * 0^ ^ ^

' 

### ^•rPARTMEN TO F hiANSPORWiO N • •.:r(E rOPERATION S U.S . DEPARTMENT O FTRANSPORTATIO N '-'" ' - " - ' ^' ^ " ' ^ u OFFIC E O FHEARING S WASHINGTON , DC . I N TH E MATTEROF NEB O AVIATIO N SERVICES , LL C FA A Docko i No . 2009tA03003 8 (Civi l Penalt

y Aciion ) DMSNo . I'A

A 

# xxx-xxx x t-flbtkOU X 1^0^^^/^^ ? Judg e No i Assigne d Hearin g Location : No t

assigne d 1 learin g Date : No t

assigne d ANSWE RAND AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S

I . COME S NOW , NEB O Aviatio n Services , LL C (hereinafter ^'NEB O AVIATION") , b y an dihrough undersigne dcounse l pursuant t o Rul e 20 9 o f

th e Rule s o f

Practic e (1 4 C.F.R , § 13.209) , andhereb y file s it s Answer to the Complain i filedb

y th e Federal Aviatio n Administratio n date dOctober 26 , 2010 . O n October IS , 2010 , NEB O submitte dawritte n reques t fo i ahearin g pursuan t

t o 1 4 C.F.R . §13.16 . II . 1 . NEB O AVIATIO N admit s th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 1 o f th e Complaini . 2 . NEB O AVIATIO N admit s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 2 o f

th e Complaint . 3 . NEB O AVIATIO N admit s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 3 o f th e Complaint . 4 . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 4 o f th e Complaint .11/29/201 0 11;1 5 FA X 202493514 2 FA A + DM S 21002/00 7

5 . NEB O AVIATIO N lack s knowledg e o r informatio n sufficient

t o for mabelie f a s t o th e trut h or falsit y o f th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 5 o f th e Complain t

an dtherefore , denie s same an ddemand s stric t proo f thereof , 6 . NEB O AViAllO N lack s knowledg e o r informatio n sufficient

t o for mabelie f

a s t o th e trutl i o r falsit y o f th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 6 o f th e Complain t

an dtherefore , denie s sam e anddemand s stric t proo f thereo f 7 . NEB O AVIATIO N lack s knowledg e o r informatio n sufficient

t o for mabelie f

a; ; t o th e trut h or falsit y olth c allegation s containe di n paragrap h 7 o f th e Complain t

an dtherefore , denie s sam e an ddemand s stric t proo f thereo f 8 . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 8 o f th e Complaint . 9 . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 9 o f th e Complaint . 10 . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 0 o f th e Complaint . 11 . NFB O AVIATIO N denie s the allegation s containe din paragrap h 1 1 o f th e Complaint . 12 . NEB O AVIATIO N lack s knowledg e or informatio n sufficien

t t o fom i abelie f a s t o th e trut h o r falsit y o f th e aIlegation. s containe di n paragrap h 1 2 o f th e Complain t

an dtherefore , denie s same anddemand s stric t proo f thereo f 13 . NEB O AVIATIO N lack s knowledg e or informatio n sufficient

t o for mabelie f a s t o th e trut h o r falsit y o f th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 3 o f th e Complain i an dtherefore , denie s sam e an ddemand s stric t proo f thereof . 14 . NEB O AVIA nO N denie s th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 1 4 o f th e Comphiint . 15 . NED O AVIATIO N admit s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 5 o f th e Complaint . 16 . NEB O AVIATIO N lack s knowledg e o r informatio n sufficient

t o for mabelie f a s t o th e11/29/201 0 11:1 5 FA X 202493514 2 FA A ^ DM S 2)003/00 7

2 1 2 7 trut

h o r falsit y o f th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 1 6 o f th e Complain t

an dtherefore , denie s same an ddemand s stric t proo f thereof . 17 . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 7 o f th e Complaint , 18 . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 8 o f

th e Complaint , 19 . NEB O AVIATIO N lack s knowledg e o r informatio n sufficient

t o for mabelie f a s t o th e truth o r falsit y o f th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 1 9 o f ih e Complain t

andtherefore , denie s same an

ddemand s stric t

proo f thereof . 20 . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 2 0 o f th e Complaint . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 2 1 o f th e Complaint . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 2 2 o f th e Complaijit . 

### ni . a . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s tha t i t violate d1 4 C.F.R . §145.201(c)(l) . b . NEB O AVIATIO N denie s that i t violate d1 4 C.F.R . §43.13(a) . IV . 1 . NEB O AVIATIO N denie. s tha t pursuant t o 4 9 U.S.C . §46301(a)(l) , it i s liabl e lo r

acivi l penalty no t

to excee d$25,00 0 for

eac h o f th e violation s alleged , or , fo r asmal l busines s concern , pursuan t

to 4 9 U.S.C . §4630 1 (a)(5) , i t i s subjec t t o acivi l penall y not

t o excee d $11,00 0 fo

r eac h o f th e violation s alleged . 2 . NKB O AVIATIO N denie s that under th e fact s an dcircumstance s o f thi s case , acivi l penalty o f $22,000.0 0 i s appropriate . Any matte r

no t specificall y admitte db

y NEB O AVIATIO N shal l b e deeme ddenied .* DM S 121004/00 7 11/29/201 0 11:1 5 FA X 202493514 2 FA A

AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S 1 . I n determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt

o conside r (1 ) th e natur e an dcircumstance s o f th e violation ; (2 ) th e exten t an dgravit y o f th e violation ; (3 ) th e respondent' s degre e o f

culpability ; (4 ) th e respondent' s history o f prio r violations , i f

any ; (5 ) th e respondent' s abilit

y t o pa y th e civi l penalty ; (6 ) th e effec t o n th e cntity'. s ability t o stay i n bu.siness ; and(7 ) othe r

matter s a s justic e may require . Se e 4 9 U.S.C . §4630 1 (e)(2) ; Se e als o Folsom'sAi r

Service , Inc. . FA

A Order No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe r

6 , 2008) , p . 1 1 . 2 . i n determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o determin e whethe r th e violatio n wa s inadvenen t o r deliberate . 3 . I n determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dto conside r

th e Re.spondent' s size , particularl y i n determinin g th e allege doffender' s ability t o absor b th e sanction . 4 . Th e propose dcivi l penalt y fail s t o retlec t

th e totality o f

tii c circumstance s surroundin g th e violations . Se e Fol.som' s Air Service , Inc. , FA A Orde r

No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe r

6,2008) , p . 12 ; Easter n Air

Center . inc. , FA A Order

No . 2008- 3 (.lanuar

y 28,2008) . 5 . NEB O Aviatio n doc s no t hav e th e financial ability t o pa y the propose dcivi l penally . 6 . Th e propose dcivi l penalt y woul dhav e adetrimental effec t o n th e ab i lit

y o f NEB O Aviatio n t o continu e doin g business . 7 . NEB O Aviatio n relie s upo n th e afTirmative defens e o f reasonabl e reliance .* DM S @l005/00 7 11/29/201 0 11:1 5 FA X 202493514 2 FA A

8 . Th e Federal Aviatio n Administration' s (FAA's ) interpretatio n o f it s Federal Aviatio n Regulation s in thi s cas e i s arbitrary , capricious , a n abui5e o f

discretion , o r

otherwis e not

in accordanc e wit

h law . Se e 5 U.S.C . § 706(2 ) (A) ; PVatkin s v . NTSB , 17 8 F.3 d959,96 1 (8i h Cir . 1999) . 9 . rh e FAA' s interpretatio n o f it s aviatio n regulation s i s unconstitutionall y vague . Se e Ihoma.s

- v . Hinson , 7 4 F.3 d888 , 88 9 (8t h Cir , 1996) ; .se

c als o Tran s Stale.- ! Airline.'! . Inc . v . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8t h Cir . 2006) ; Heath v

. SEC . 200 9 U.S . App . LEXI S 2412 8 a t *53-55 . 10 . Th e FAA' s applicatio n o f it s Federal Aviatio n Regulation s in thi s cas e i s contrar> ' t o th e regulation' s plai n language . StcAdvant aUSA . Inc . v . Chuo , 35 0 F.3 d726 , 72 8 (8t h Cir . 2003) , quotin g Gardebringv . Jenkins . 48 5 U.S . 415,430,10 8 S . Ct . 1306 , 9 9 L . Ed . 2d51 5 (1988) . Se e als o Tran s State s Airlines , Inc . v . FAA, 43 9 F.3 d863,864-86 5 (8th Cir , 2006) . 11 . Respondent

assert s tha t

th e Complainan t

ha s faile dt o stat e aclai mupo n whic h th e relie f requeste dmay b

o granted . 12 . Respondent

assert s tha

t th e Complainant

lack s substantial basi s i

n law an dfac t

t o continu e prosecutio n o f

thi s matter

agains t it .11/29/201 0 11:1 5 FAX 202493514 2 FA A + DMS glOOG/00 7

Dated : Novembe

r 16 , 201 0 Respectfull

TON , ESQ . Fir m G I Th e Avjkti k One : Suite/45 0 Rockvillc , M

D 2085 0 Tel ; (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax:(301)294-252 5 Greg@AviationLawExperts.co m Counse l fo

r Respondent11/29/201 0 11:1 6 FA X 202493514 2 FA A + DM S 12007/00 7

CERTIFICATE O FSERVIC E T hereb y certif

y tha t I hav e tiii s date serve db

y regula r U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , a n origina l an d on e (1 ) cop y o f

th e foregoin g Answer

addresse dto : Attemion : Hearin g Docket Clerk , AGC-43 0 Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S.W . Suite 2 Wl 00 0 Waiihington , D.C . 2059 1 And , further , that

I hav e thi s date serve dvi afacsimil e an dregula r U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , a cop y o f th e foregoing Answer

addresse dto : Stephen W . Brice , Esq . FA A Easte mRegion , AEA- 7 1 Aviatio n Plaza , Roo m56 1 Jamaica , N Y 1143 4 Fax : 71 8 99 5 569 9 Dated : November

16 , 201 0 GKSGOJi Y SJi^lNTON , ESQ . Th e Aviandffl.a w Fir

m m c Researc h Cour

t Suite 45 0 Rockvillc . MD 2085 0 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax:(301)294-252 5