## 2l p U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT**A~·** 

### · 

### I. "'ll. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATI 

# ECEIVED

· l. 

### o WASHINGTON DC

ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, Complainant,


### v. GOJET AIRLINES LLC, Respondent. ) 

### ) ) ) ) 

### ) ) 

### ) ) ) )

## ----------------~------------) ' 

## SEP 2**~** 

## 2012 

# HEARING DOCKET

FAA Case No. 2012CE030041



### RESPONDENT'S ANSWER COMES NOWRespondent 

### GOJET AIRLINES LLC, by and through counsel, and hereby files its answer to the Complaint (attached as Respondent's Exhibit A) dated September 10,2012 in connection with FAA Case No. 2012CE030041. Respondent states as follows: I. 1. Admit II. 1. (a) Admit (b) Admit (c) Admit 2. (a) Denied (b) i. Denied ii. Denied

### (c) Denied 

### 3. Denied 

### 4. Denied Ill. 

### 1. Denied 

### 2. Denied 

### 3. Denied Further, Respondent denies violating any ofthe Federal Aviation Regulations cited by the Administrator; Further, any matter not specifically admitted by Respondent shall be deemed denied.

AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES 1. FAA enforcement action against carriers for encouraging employee Aviation Safety Action Program ("ASAP") submission is against FAA published guidance encouraging participation from employees. The FAA's published guidance, as set forth in Advisory Circular ("AC") 120-:-668 (November 15, 2002), providesthat neither the written ASAP report nor the content of the written ASAP report will be used to initiate or support company discipline or as evidence for any purpose in
an FAA enforcement action. 2. Bringing an enforcement action based upon information that was voluntarily and properly disclosed in ASAP is a direct violation ofthe FAA's published guidance and therefore arbitrary and capricious and an abuse of discretion.3. The sanction sought in the Administrator's Complaint is not in accordance with FAA precedent, nor its published guidance. 4. The regulations cited by the Administrator in the Complaint are unconstitutionally vague and therefore they deny the Respondent due process of law as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. 5. Respondent reserves the right to amend his answer and/or to add additional affirmative defenses as Administrator's claims are more fully disclosed in the
course of this litigation. 

### WHEREFORE, Respondent respectfully requests that the Administrator's Complaint be dismissed.

Dated: September 21, 2012

# Res;;;~

# ~iA. Hayes Ill Vice President and General Counsel Trans States Holdings, Inc. 11495 Navaid Road Bridgeton, MO 63044 (314) 222-4316- Telephone (314) 222-4311 -Facsimile dhayes@transstates.net Attorney for GoJet Airlines LLC

### CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that I have this day served the foregoing document on the following parties at the address and method indicated below:
Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue, SW. Washington, DC 20591 Attention: Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 Wilbur Wright Building, Room 2W1000
Mr. David Kessler, Esq. Federal Aviation Administration Central Region ACE-7, Room #506, DOT Building 901 Locust St. Kansas City, MO 641 06-2641

Dated this 21st day of September, 2012. Original- FedEx

One (1) Copy- Fed ExU.S. Department ofTransportation Federal A viatioo
· Administration

In Reply Refer To: ACE-7 2012CE030041
VIA FACSIMILE AND REGULAR MAIL September 10, 2012 Hearing Docket Federal Aviation Ad · 1stration 800**In~wenden v~nue**  

### SW Washingto 20591

·Atti:i: 

### earirig Docket 

### Clerk; AGC-43{)

Wilbur Wright Building, Suite 2Wl000 Re:
. In the Matter ofGoJet Airlines, LLC Case No. 2012CE030041 Office ofRegional Counsel 901 Locust, Room 506 Kansas City, MO 64106-2641 

### RECEIVED OFRCE

## OF DAVID HAYES 

## SEP 

## 12 2012 VICE PRESIDENTAND Area Code:**816-~** COUNSEL**~~.** 

### . . ...

.. ,. '.'<.···· ·:1'.:•: · ··; 'i'<:o'.•.' · · ,..**~** \, .

Enclosed herewith please fmd a copy ofa request for ahearing and the original and one copy ofthe Complaint in the above-referenced proceeding. The FAA requests thatthe hearing in this matter be held in St. Louis, Missouri, and expects that the hearing will last one day. Please address all communications for the FAA to David B. Kessler, Federal Aviation Administration, Central Region, ACE-7, Room 506, DOT Building, 901 Looust, Kansas City, .MO 64106-2641. Sincerely, A. Lester Haizlip Regional Counsel By:

Enclosures
cc: Richard A. Leach / David J. A. Hayes 

### III, Esq. 

## v**:~·** . . . .. .... · ........ .. Inthe Matter of: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
Served:. September 10, 2012 FAA DocketNo. FAA Case No. 2012CE030041 _G_o_Je_t_A_ir_li_ne-'s,:...,, L-'L-'C
________ ___. Judge Not Assigned

COMPLAINT The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), by counsel, hereby files its Complaint, pursuant to Rule 208 ofthe Rules ofPractice (14 C.F.R. 13.208), and states as follows: I. 

### ·:· .· ;....,:·.... _:>·'
....**~~£~** ..**-~;:-~··:** ..**:-···.~;.;::····.::.** · . .. :.·=· ·.**-;~;:.:·**..: ..**·.~~·;:~:-:~;~~:** ...**·.·~·._::**....**~:·** .... '.".; I. On May 23, 2012, Respondent GoJet Airlines 

### LLC (GJA) wa8 &.dviSed through a Notice 

## of
. Proposed Civil Penaity that

# the FAA proposed to assess a civH penaltY in the amount of$11

# ,ooo. on August 20, 2012, Respondent submitted a written request for ahearing. II. 1. At all times hereinafter mentioned, GoJetAirlines, LLC (GJA):
a. Held Air Carrier Certificate Number N6W A249L; b. Operated Civil Aircraft N173GJ, a Bombardier Canadair CL-600-2CIO, used by GJA under FAR Part 121 on passenger-carrying revenue operations; Jllld

· · c. Contracted Trans States Airlines (TSA) mechanics to perform on-demand maintenance onN173GJ. 2. On or aboutFebruary 29,2012, TSA mechanics:
a. Performed on-demand maintenance on:**Nl7~0J'** following a left hand wing strike;
. b. Referenced the above maintenance 

### was oompleted in accordance with Bombardier's: i. Repair Engineering Order (REO) 670-57-00-051 Rev; and

· ii. Memo ISE-STR-12-019 Rev NC.
c. Returned N173GJ to service. 3. TSA mechanics did not performthe 

### required maintenance noted in paragraph 2(bXii) above. 4. As a result ofthe above, GJA failed to properly perform maintenance on Nl73GJ by failing to

. .

### 2 verify TSA mechanics accomplished required procedures in accordance with the current manufacturer's maintenance manual. 

## m. 1. By reason oftheforegoing facts and circumstances, Respondent violated Section 43.13(a) (by virtue ofSection 43.13(c)) ofthe Federal AviationRegulations, which states in relevant part, that each person performing maintenance, alteration, or preventive maintenance on an aircraft, engine, propeller, or

### applian~ shall use the methqds·'·

### teclmiq~ 

### ..**~d_.p~~~es,Jl~~ri¥,d**..

### ~**~~·f¥f~~~t ,~~lWf~~:f.;~** 

## ..·:·:·"· .,,, ..·

• ·• ' ,' • • • ' • e ' '**~** • ' • ':•' ' maintenance manual or instructions for Continued Airworthiness prepared by its manufacturer, or**oth~·** ·. methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator. 2. Pursuant to Title 49 U.S.C. 46301, Respondent is**~bject**to a civil penalty notto exceed $11,000 for each ofthe violations alleged. 3. Underthe facts and circumstances ofthis 

### case, acivil penalty of$11,000 is appropriate. WHEREFORE, the**Agency,~by** counsel, respectfully requests that the Administrative Law Judge enter an orderthat Respondent be assessed a civil penalty in the amount of$11,000. Dated this 1Oth day ofSeptember, 2012. Respectfully submitted, A. Lester Haizlip Regional Counsel By:

'/r!avid B. Kessler

. Attorney for Complainant**Fed~lal** Aviation Administration

901 Locust St., Room 506 Kansas City, 

### MO 64106"2641 816"329"3763; Fax (816) 329"3771 ..... .: ' ' ' .**~** :.,.r . ...,. -.



### Answer Section 13.209(a) ofthe Rules ofPractice in FAA Civil PenaltyProceedings states, "A respondent shall file awritten answer to the complaint, ormay file a

### written motion pursuant to Section 13.208(d) or Section 13.218(f)(l-4) instead offiling an 

## answer, not laterthan 3.0 days after service ofthe complaint. Section 13.209(f) states, "A person's failure to file an answer without good cause shall be deemed an admission ofthe truth ofeach allegation contained in the complaint.

·-.v•.**·~** ,: "·.,_;..

. :'
...... 3GoJetAirlines LLCt FAA Case No
..2012CE030041
CERTIFICATE OFSERVICE I hereby certify that I have this date sent by facsimile, and placed in theUnited States mail, a copy ofthe Administrator's Complaint, addressed to:

'•· Mr. Richard A.**Leac~** CEO GoJet Airlines LLC 11495 Navaid Rd. Bridgeton, MO 63044 David**J.A':~my~s' tti;-~** 

## ;;;;: Trans States Holdings · ll49S.NavaidRd. Bridgeton; MO 63044 4

. In addition, I hereby certify that I have this date sent 

### acopy by facsimile and placed 

### in the United States mail, the original and one copy, addressed to: Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue, SW. Washington, DC 20591 Attention: Hearing 

### Docket

### qerJc, AGC-43

### 0 Wilbur Wright Building, Room 2Wl000

# A~~**PanUegalSpecuui~** Dated this lOth day**ofSe~wmber,2012.** .·

### ... ),**~** ... ,:.: .·

..**·~··** . .: