01/05/201 2 16:1 4 FA X 202433514 2 FA A- DMS @]001/00 6 

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A K^CIRIVE D DEFAR'IMEN T O FTRANSPORTATION^^^^^" ^ ^ ^^ ^ Jl ? m- b A li

^ GJ^ASHINGTON,D.C . DE C 2 8 201 1 

# HEARIN G DOCKE T ) 

### SUNQUES T EXECUTIV E AIRCHARTER , INC . J ) FAA ORIGINAL Applicant , ) DOCKE T No . CP08WP000 4 ) 

### V . ) EAJA No . ) Judge : Hon . Richar dC . Goodwi n Administrator , ) FEDERA LAVIATIO N ADMINISTRATIO N ) fJ^M ^ ' •:^0//- l^^ ^ ) 

### Respondent . ) ) 

### APPLICAllO N FO RA

N AWAR D OFATTORNE Y FEE S AN D OTHER EXPENSE S PURSUAN T T O TFI E EQUA LACCES S T O JUSTIC E AC T (EAJA ) Pursuant t o 5 U.S.C . §504 and14 CF R§8216. 1 e l seq. . Applicant , Sunques t Executiv e Ai r

Charter , inc. , b

y il s undersigne dcounsel , hereb y applie s fo r attorne y fee s andcost s incurre di

n th e matte r

o f Administrato r

vs . Sunques t

Executiv e Air

Charter . Inc. , FA A docke t numbe r CP08WP000 4 andth e appea l iherelro mbearin g designatio n No . FDM S FAA2008-0238 . Ih e followin g point s are mad e i n suppor t of thi s application : 1 . The officia

l recordo f

thi s matter

disclose s that : Afte r man y change s an dmultipl e alterations , corrections , addition s andth e like , issue s wer e linall y liramedprosecutin g claim s agains t responden t

base do n allegation s tha t it s recordkeepin g procedure s were inadequate a s follows ;01/05/201 2 16:1 4 FAX 2024935U 2 FA A- DMS 1^002/00 6

a . O n asingl e occasio n Januar y 24 , 2005 , th e procedur e followe db y responden t

an dpreviousl y approve db y al l o f th e respondent' s principa l operation s inspector s wa s inadequat e i n tliat a n inspecto r

woul dhav e t o loo k outsid e ofih e tim e an dduty record s i n orde r l o confir mcompliance . b . 2 separat e flight s wer e charge da s violations , namely , o n Januar y 24 , 200 5 an do n Marc h9 , 2005 . On e wa s resolve di n favo r o f th e Agency , th e othe r for Respondent . Thes e action s wer e include di n Smitli' s dut y tim e record s bu t

no t i n hi s fligh t

lim e record s (Stips . 11112, 13 , 11 , 22) . Complainan t

contend s tha t

Sunques t

shoul dhav e recorde dthes e flights a s fligh t tim e unde r

th e categor y o f

"othe r commercia l flying, " (i ) O n .Tanuar

y 24 , 2005 , Mar k

Smit ho f Sunques t provide d1 3 hour s o f

fligh t trainin g t o acompan y pilot . (ii ) O n Marc h9 . 2005 , Captai n Smithgav e acompan y pilo t achec k rid e lastin g 1. 5 hours .

c . Respondent' s flight

an ddut y tim e record s di dno t reflec t hi s helicopte r

pilo t tim e fo r th e Lo s Angele s Polic e Departmen t ove r whic ho n a t leas t 1 7 dates , h e exceede dth e lim e dut y limitation s foun di n par t 135 .01/05/201 2 1G:1 4 M X 202493514 2 FA A^ QM S 2)003/00 6

2 . Applican t

i s aprevailin g part y i n that ; A s t o a. , th e Administrativ e La w Judg e foun dtha t responden t

wa s i n technica l non-complianc e wii hF.A.R . §135.6 3 (a)(4)(vii ) bu t recognize dtha t

th e Sunques t Executiv e Ai r

Ciiarter , Inc . for

mfor loggin g pilo t

flight tim e wa s accepte dfor year s b y FA.A . Inspector s assigne dl o supervis e th e carrier' s practices . The y wer e incorporate dint o Sunquest' s Operation s Manual . Thi s circumstanc e di dno t allo w Sunques t t o escap e liabilit y bu t

wa s considere damitigatin g facto r o n th e determinatio n o f penalty . Specitlcally , th e fac t tha t Sunquest' s recordkeepin g practice s passe dmuste r severa l time s understandabl y coul dsugges t t o i t tha t thes e practice s wer e acceptabl e an d consisten t

wit happlicabl e F.A.R.'s . Agains t thi s background . Sunques t Executiv e Ai r Charter , Lie , ha dn o eviden t reaso n t o chang e the mt o confor mt o wha t th e Agenc y deem s acceptabl e today .

A s t o b. . th e Admini.strativ e La w Judg e foun d(a ) tha t o n th e allege dsingl e occasion , namel y Marc h5 , 2005 , th e Administrato r contende dtha t

Mar k Smit ho f Sunques t Executiv e Ai r

Charter , Inc . provide d1. 3 hour s o f flight tim e a s th e compan y pilot . 'Ili e Administrativ e La w Judg e foun dtha t thi s singl e flight

(b ) mus t b e considere d ''othe r commercia l flying." O n Januar y 24 , 2005 , Mar k Smit ho f Sunques t

provide d1, 3 hour s o f

flight trainin g t o acompan y pilot . Th e Administrativ e La w Judg e foun dtha t th e Januar y 24 , 200 5 flight

( atrainin g flight), coul dno t b e considere d"othe r

commercia l flying.*'01/05/201 2 1G:1 4 FA X 202433511 2 FA A' Oh S 0004/00 6

A s t o c ; th e tlight s for

Lo s /\jigelc s Polic e Department , th e Administrativ e La w Judg e foun dtha t

th e Agenc y faile dt o prov e aviolation , holdin g tha t th e helicopte r wa s astamtor y publi c aircraf t an da s suc hwa s no t

subjec t l o F.A.A . jurisdiction . Thi s determinatio n forme dth e basi s for a n appea l b y th e Administrator . O n appea l th e Departmen t

o f Transportatio n affirmed , holdin g tha t i t di dno t eve n hav e t o ge t

t o tha t issu e becaus e th e Agenc y ha dno t establishe damor e basi c element , namely , tha t th e Respondent' s pilo t

wa s eve n bein g pai dfor hi s L.A.P.D . flying. Whe n th e Agenc y appeale dt o th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n i t

di ds o solel y o n th e basi s o f

th e allege dviolatio n base do n flying for th e L.A.P.D . O n Novembe r

22 , 2011 , th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n affirme dth e rulin g o f th e Administrativ e La w .Tudge . concludin g tha t th e F.A.A . eve n faile dt o sho w tliat Smith' s L.A.P.D . flying me t

al l th e element s o f

"othe r commercia l tJying. " Th e position s o f

th e F.A.A . tha t

wer e no t substantiall y justifie dinclud e th e ruling s i n favo r

o f petitione r

regardin g th e Januao ' ^4 * flight an dth e entiret y o f

coun t three , namel y th e flying for th e L.A.P.D. , ther e appear s t o b e n o justiflcatio n eve n from th e beginning , for

th e charge s tha t

wer e asserte dagains t

Sunques t

Executiv e Ai r

Charter , Inc . Moreover , eve n a s t o th e singl e rulin g i n favo r o f th e F.A.A. . th e Administrativ e La w Judg e foun dtha t

ther e wer e substantia l mitigatin g factors . Applicant' s ne t

wort hdi dno t

excee d$2,000,00 0 a t

ih e initiatio n o f

al l o f th e foregoin g proceedings . A detaile dexhibi t showin g th e ne t

wort ho f Applican t

a t th e initiatio n o f

al l o f th e proceeding s wil l b e presente dat th e hearin g o f

thi s Pciiiiun , o r sooner , i f requeste db y th e Agency .01/05/201 2 1G:1 5 FAX 202493514 2 FA A^ D^^' S 0005/OO G

Th e tota l fee s an dcost s for whic ha n awar di s sough t i s S 25,200.53 . A detaile dexhibi t

showin g th e tim e spen t an dcost s incurre dwil l b e presente dat th e hearin g o f

thi s Petitio n o r

soone r i f requested . I hereb y certif

y unde r penalt y o f

perjur y tha t

th e foregoin g informaiio n provide di n thi s applicatio n i s tru e an dcorrect . Respectfull y submitted , LAV^ J^FFIC E O FARTIRJ RWASSERMA N Dated : Decembe r

20 , 201 1

' ARTT^URWASSERMA N Counse l fo r

Responden t 1638 0 Rosco e Boulevard , Suit e 12 0 Va n Nuys . Californi a91406-122 1 Telephone ; (818)895-823 4 Facsimile : (818)895-067 5'r^ . ^ nH< ; 01006/00 6 01/05/201 2 ie:l 5 FA X 202433514 2 FA A• UH ^ ^

CERTIFICAI E O FSERVIC E 1 hereb y certif

y tha t o n thi s dat e I place di n ih e Unite dState s Mail , postag e prepaid , th e origina l o f

th e attache ddocumen t

(APPLICATIO N FO RA N AWAR D O F ATTORNE Y FEE S AN D OTHE REXPENSE S PURSUAN T T O TH E EQUA LACCES S T O JUSTIC E AC T (EAJA) ) an d2 copies , addresse dto : Federa l Aviaiio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S W Washington , D.C . 2059 1 Attn : Hearin g Docke t

Clerk , AGC-43 0 Wilbu r Wrigh t Building , Suit e 2W100 0 An dacop y sen t

Unite dState s Mail , postag e prepaid , atru e cop y addresse dto : Josep hA . Conte , Manage r Ai r Carrie r & Operation s La w Enforcemen t

Division , AGC-30 0 Offic e o f th e Chie f

Counse l Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n Washington , D C lO?*? ! Offic e o f Regiona l Counse l Wester n Pacifi c Region , AWP- 7 P.O . Bo x 9200 7 Lo s Angeles . C A 90009-200 7 Th e Honorabl e Richar dC Goodv-i n Adminisu^iiv e La w Judg e Otiic c o f Hearings , M-2 0 U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue . S.E . Eas t Building , Groun dFloo r Roo mEl2-32 0 Wa^ihington , D C 2059 0 Dated : Decembe r

20 , 201 1

Christin aMerric k LA WOFFIC E O FARTHU RWASSERMA N 1638 0 Rosco e Boulevard . Suit e 12 0 Va n Nuys , Californi a91406-122 1