11/19/2010 ie:50 FAX 2024935142 FAA QMS @l001/004 

CERTIFIED MAIL-RH7URN Rl'lCI'IVT RJiOUESTED 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

I certify thai ihe foregoing Response to Interrogatories fiiicl Prockiccioii oi'Documcrity ha-s 

been placed this dale in Lhc United Stciies mail, posUge prepaid, by Certified Mail-'Recum 

Receipt Requested addressed as follows: 

ORIGINAL &ONK COPY 

I'ccleral Aviation Administraiion 

800 Independence Avenue S.W. 

Wiishinglon D.C. 20591 

Ann; Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-43 0 

Wilbur Wright Building- Room 2014 

tPfDfAOb/p /^o/^-097. 

n . 

QNF. COPY 

7:^.dt\•^xy M. Berman, Attorney 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Office of tlic Regional Couiieil 

] Aviation Plaza 

Rockaway Boulevard 

Jamaica, N.Y. 11434 

Tel: 718-553-3258 

FAX: 718-995-5569 

.x> 

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The Honorable Ronnie A. Voder, Chief Administrative Law .Judge 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Office of Hearings, M-20, Room E12-320 

1200 New .Tersey Avenue, S.li. 

Fast Building Ground Floor 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

TEL: 202-366-2142 

FAX: 202-366-7536 

Dat.:\0-gt"l -VQ 

Kugene A.CMcDonoLigli 

Prciidenl, Million .Air Richmond 

'100 Foniigee Road 

Richmond Inri. Aiiport 

Virginifl 23250-2417 

Tel: X04-222-3700 

FAX : 804-222-4044 
4 11/18/2010 18:50 FAX 2024935142 FAA * DMS gl002/004 

Interrogatories; Response 

FAA DocketNo. 2010KA210014 

i. Eugene Alan McDonough, President, Commonwealth Aviation Service, Inc. d.b.a. 

Million Air Richmond, 400 Porlugee Road, Richmond, Virginia 23250-2417. 804-

222-3700. 

2. The substance of le.stimony will be to dispute the allegations in the above referenced 

docket(,s). 

3. Eugene A, McDonough will be the only witness; 

a. (jencral aviation maintenance knowledge. 

b. Sub.'itancc and facts ba.sed on experience in the field 

c. Summaiy incitided in this Response 

d. The written curriculum will be the Interrogatories. 

4. None 

5. .Sec attachment 

Response to Requests For Admiiisiony 

1. ll is admitted the copy of the Ainvorthiness Directive (AD) 98-13-15 effective July 

22, 1998 is on auihcniic copy of that document. 

2. ll is admitted the copies of the logbook entries (aiiachcd jit; Exhibit A-2, 3 page.s) arc 

authentic copies of tliosc documents. 

3. It is admiltcd llic copy of the Airworihine,ss Directive Manual, dated May 28, 200S 

(attached ;-is Exhibit A-3) is an authentic copy of that doctmicnl.. 

4. It is admitted the copy of the letter from James E, Rhodes to Mr. .I.^illy Arailleld, 

dated March 9,2010 (attached as Exhibit A-4) is an authentic copy of that documcni. 

.'5. Tt is admitted the copy of the letter from William J. Armllcld to Janicy B. Ill^odes lo, 

dated March 22, 2010 (attached as Exliibit A-5) is an authentic copy of that docunicjii 
11/19/201 0 1G:5 0 FAX 2024935142 FAA ^ DMS 0003/00 4 

Attachment to Interrogatories and for Request lor Production of Documents 

I'AA Docket No. 2010EA210014 

5. 

In the Airwoithincss Directive Manual, Paragraph 123, on Page 53, the verbiage "within 

six months" is used to dcl'me a consecutive month period. This is purposeful for the 

iiiitial compliance inspection rcc|uircd by the airworthiness directive in question, and 

references the "effective date" of the document as the starting point for consecutive 

months. The initial in.spection, accomplished in 1998, as well as other factors, 

established the pace for the repetitive inspection procos.s 

The text of the airwoitliincss directive in question doe.s not use the phrase "within six 

months'' for the repetitive in.spectioii requirements. The text of the directive in question 

stales "at intervals not to exceed six months or three hundred hours, whichever occurs 

first" indicating an endor.scment of the interpretation in the Airworthiness Directive 

Manual on Paragraph 123, Page 54, (c) (2) of calendar months. Further explained in the 

same pjiragraph (3) and (4) of the Airworthiness Directive Manual is the precarious 

relationship regarding dates and compliance thresholds. Paragraph (3) advi.ses "do not to 

use calendar times just to ensure the AD is complied with at a certain time." 

Repetitive Compliance Times are addressed on Page 56 of the Airworthiness Directive 

Manual, Paragraph (i). Tlie paragraph on i-epetitive inspections describes only hours as an 

intei'val. No guidance i.s established or stated for an interpretation of months. When the 

Administrator desires consecutive months over calendar months, the repetitive 

compliance time .should be staled in days for clarity. If the difference of the number of 

days were critical, in this case "not lo exceed 180 days or three hundred hours, whichever 

occurs first" would have been appropriate as the rccun-ent threshold. 

It is not possible to derive a conclusive inteipretatjon of the airworthiness directive in 

question by relying on the examples given in the Airworthiness Directive Manual. \iy 

not having the calendar threshold precisely stated, the interpretation of months is subject 

to the opinion of the inspector. This is supported by a twelve-year logbook compliance 

history. The directive does not state calendar or consecutive, and does not match the text 

of the Manual's examples. 

A lack of specificity in this directive weakens the justification of a civil penalty in the 

amount of $17,500, or any violation of Section 39,43 or 91 of the Federal Aviation 

Regulations. 
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