01/21/201 0 14:0 4 FA X 202493514 2 FA A * DM S @|001/00 5

D^^P T CM''^;3^0RTAI10 N BEFOR E 1 HE UNITE D STATE S

DEPARTMEN T O F TRANSPORTATIO N VEDERA L AVIATIO N ADME^^ISTRATIO N 

# RECEIVE D

I n th e Matte r

o f FRONTIE RAIRLINES , INC . 

### C-I C 

### 2 3 

## HEARIN G DOCKE T Docke t No . FAA-2009-J04 0 FA A Cas e No . 2009NM21002 0 FAA Docke t

No . CP09N M

Pui-suantt o 1 4 C.F.R . § 13.209 , th e Responden t Frontier Airlines , Inc . ("Frontier " o r "Respondent" ) b y an

dthroug h it s counsel , Pillsbury Winthro p Sha w Pittman LLP , hereb y submit s it s Answer

i n respons e t o th e Complainant' s Amende dComplaint , serve dNovembe r 16 , 2009 , an dstate s th e Ibllowing : I . Fact s Allege d 1 .

3 . Frontie r

Airline s (hereafter

Frontier ) i s now , an da

t al l time s mentione dherei n was , th e holde r o f Ai r Carrie r Operatin g Certificate No . F3LA008Y , an dconduct s it s operation s pursuan t to Part 12 1 o f th e Federa

l Aviatio n Regulations . Response : Admitted , Sectio n D07 2 o f

Fnmlicr' s Operation s Specilication s (OpSpecs ) require s Frontier t o niaintiu n it s aircraf

t i n accordanc e wit

h it s Continuou s Airworthines s Maintenanc e Program(CAMP) , whic h include s th e provision s o f it s General Maintenanc e Manual (GMM) . Response : Admitted . Sectio n D08 5 o f

it s OpSpec s authorize s Frontier to us e a n Airbu s A-.319 , N938FR , i n th e conduc t o f it s operations . Response : Admitted . Frontier' s GMM , sectio n 30.0 5 set s fort h th e brak e wear

limi t fo r it s aircraf t andrequire s th e remova l o f

brake s whe n ther e i s 1/1 6 o f a n inc h or les s wea r pi n showing . Response : Denied , Frontier' s aircraft' s mai n landin g gea r brake s ar e a

n "o n condition " ite ma s authorize dby it s CAMP .01/21/201 0 14:0 5 FAX 202493514 2 FA A+ DM S 21002/00 5

Response : Admitted . 6 . O n Octobe r

28 , 2008 , N938F Rwa s goin g throug h aheav y servic e chec k in Salt Lak e City , Utah (SLC) . Response : Admitte di n part . 7 . Durin g thi s inspection , aFrontier contrac t mechani c entere dth e followin g discrepanc y i n th e aircraf t lo g pag e 416095 : "Durin g servic e chec k found# 2 brak e (LMLG ) beyon d limits. " Response : Admitted . 8 . Frontier' s CAM P prohibit s th e us e o f th e MEL whe n th e brak e wea r indicato r i s flus h o r recesse di n th e brak e housin g a s wa s th e cas e here . Response : Denied . 9 . A t th e tim e o f

thi s maintenance , acorrec t brak e wa s availabl e i n SLC ; however , Frontie r opte dto defer

replacin g th e brake , pe r

Frontier' s minimu mequipmen t lis t (MEl,) . Response : Denied . 10 . O n October

29 , 2008 , N938FRlef

t th e gat e a

t SLC intendin g t o fly to Denver . Colorad o (DEN ) bu t

hadabloc k

turn bac k du e to th e sam e brak e reference dabove . Response : Admitted . 11 . Th e followin g entr y i s i n N938FR' s aircraf

t lo g pag e 416096 : "BT B (Bloc k Tur n Back ) 1400Z , main t

required , brak e locke du p durin g tax i # 2 (L ) sid e brake heate dto 20 0 dc g whil e othe r

tonp s wer e 1 5 dcg. " Response : Admitted . 12 . Th e brak e wa s overheatin g becaus e i t wa s no t ble dpe r th e maintenanc e instruction s specifie din the maintenanc e manual an dth e ME L "M " procedures . Response : Denied . 13 . Frontie r

Maintenanc e C^ontro

l Cente r (MCC ) calle dSLC conn-aci maintenanc e and directe dthemt o re-blcc dth e # 2 brak e assembl y pe r ME L 32-42-01A . Responsc : Denied . 14 . Afte

r th e brak e wa s re-blcd , Frontie r operate dth e N938FRfo

r eleve n (11 ) flight s whil e i n a n unairworth y conditio n becaus e th e #2 whee l brake wa s wor n beyon dlimit s and improperl y deferred . Response : Denie d01/21/201 0 14:0 5 FA X 202493514 2 FA A * DM S @|003/00 5

15 . Further , o n Octobe r 31,2008 , Aviatio n Safet

y Inspectors , whil e performin g surve i I lanc e discovere dthat

th e mechani c tha t

performe dth e heav y chec k inspectio n bac k

o n Octobe r 28 , 200 8 ha

dfaile dt o compl y wit

h th e ME L "M " procedur e becaus e h e faile dto properl y secure th e brak e hose . Response : Denied , 16 . Frontie r

operate dN9 3 8F

Ri n violatio n o f

it s operation s specifications . Response : Denie d II . B y reaso n o f

th e foregoin g circumstances , i t appear s tha

t Frontie r violate dth e followin g .section s o f

th e Federal Aviatio n Regulation s (1 4 CFR) : a . Sectio n 119.5(g) , in that , a s adirec t ai r carrier , i t operate di n violatio n o f

a n appropriat e operation s specification , b . Sectio n 119.5(1) , i n tha t it operate dan aircraf

t in violatio n o f

it s operation s specifications . c . Sectio n 121.153(a)(2) , i n tha t i t operate da

n aircraf t o n multipl e occasion s whe n i t wa s no t i n a n airworth y condition . d . Sectio n 121.628(a)(5) , i n tha t it operate da

n aircraf t wit h inoperabl e equipmen t contrary r o all applicabl e condition s an dlimitation s containe din ii s MEL . Response : Denied . 1 . I n accordanc e wit

h Sectio n 4630 1 (a) an

d(d ) o f Title 4 9 o f

th e Unite dState s Cod e (Transportation ) [4 9 U.S. C § 46301(a ) and(d)] . Frontie r i s liabl e fo r

acivi l penalt y no t

t o excee d$25,00 0 for

eac h o f th e violation s noted . Response : Denied . 2 . Unde

r th e fact s an

dcircumstance s ol ' thi s case , acivi l penalt y o f S350,00 0 i s appropriate . Response : Denied . Ill , Affirmativ e Defense s 1 . Fo r

it s first affirmativ e defense , Frontiei

- assert s tha t Complainan t

ha s faile dto stat e a clai mupon whic h relie f

ca n b e granted .01/21/201 0 14:0 5 FA X 202493514 2 FA A + DM S @1004/00 5

2 . Fo r

it s secon daffirmativ e defense . Frontie r assert s that

th e propose dcivi l penalt y i s excessive , i s no t

i n accor dwit h th e FA A Complianc e an

dEnforcemen t

Handbook , Orde r 2150.3B , andi s no t

appropriat e i n thi s instanc e wher e Frontier' s action s wer e consisten t wit h th e requirement s i

n 1 4 C.F.R . Part s 11 9 an d121 . fV . Requeste dRelie f WHEREFORE , Frontie r Airlines , Inc. , b y counsel , submit s that it ha s ftilly ajiswere d th e Complaint , an dre.spectfully request s that th e La w Judg e findi n favor

o f th e Respondent , Frontie r Airlines , Inc . Respectltill y submitted .

P I.LLSBUR

Y WINTHRO P SHA W PITTMAN LL P 230 0 N Street , N.W . Wa.shington , D.C . 2003 7 Tel : (202 ) 663-800 0 Fax : (202 ) 663-800 7 E-mail : kquinn@pillsburylaw.co m jtrock@pillsburylaw.co m Counse l fo

r Frontie r Airlines , Inc . Dated : Decembe r

16,200 901/21/201 0 14:0 5 FA X 202493514 2 FA A + QM S 121005/00 5

CERTIFIC A T

E O F SERVIC E I , Timothy C , Gerheim , hereb y certif y tha t 1 hav e this , th e 16^'' da

y o f December , 2009 , cause da cop y o f th e foregoin g documen t

to b e serve dto th e followin g person s vi afacsimil e andU.S . Firs t Clas s mail : Federal Aviatio n Administratio n Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk , AGC-43 0 Wilbu r Wriglit Buildin g - Suite 2W100 0 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S W Wiishington , D C 2059 1 FAX : 202-493-514 2 (Origina l andon e copy ) Scot t R . Monis , Attorne y Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n Northwes t Mountai n Region , ANM- 7 160 1 Lin dAvenu e S.W . Rcnton.W A 9X057-335 6 FAX : 425-227-100 7 Th e Honorabl e RichardC . Goodwi n Administrativ e La

w Judg e Offic e o f Hearings , M-2 0 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Eas t Buildm g Groun dFloo r Roo mEl 2-32 0 WasMngton , D.C . 2059 0 FAX : 202-366-753 6

J'imoth y C . Gerhei m Pillsbury Winthro p Sha

w Pittma n LL P 230 0 N St . N

W Washington , D C 2003 7