11/24/201 0 11:1 1 FA X 202493514 2 FA A + DM S @l001/00 5



### U.S . DRPARIMEN

T O FTRANSPORTATIO

N OFFIC E O FHtARING S WASHINGTON . DC . 

## DEPARTMEN T O F :nANSPORTATIO N • ; ";;KuTOPEflATIOM

S mm'? u A ti : 2 8

I N Ti mMATTE RO K 

### FLIGHTSTA RAIRCRAFT SJFRVICES , INC , FA A Docke t No . 2008-01.-05-00^ 2 (Civi l Penttlt y Action ) OMSNo . I'AA'XXX-XXX X Judg e No t Assigned Hcmn g Location : Not

assigned Hearing Dace : Not

assigne d 

# ^6(0 " fol k

ANSWE RAN D AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S 1 . COME S NOW . FIJGHTSTARAIRCRAF T SIvRVlCES , INC . (hereijiafte r "FLIGIITS T AR") , h

y ftiid throxig

h undersignedcounsel pursuan t t o Rule 20 9 of

th e Riil« s o

f Pmctjc r (1 4 CF.R . §13.209) , an

dhereb y ille s it s Answe

r t o th « Complai mfiledb y Ih e Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n datedOctobe r 26 . 20 ) 0 . O n Octobe r rt. 2010 , FLTGHTSTA

Rsubmittedawrine

n reques t fo r ahearin g pursuan

t T C 1 4 CF.R . §13.1(1 . r . 1 . FTJGHTSTA R

### admit s th e allegation s containe din paragraph 1 o f th e Complaint . 2 . FLlGHTSTA

Radmits th e ailcga.tion.' s cDntaine di n paragraph 2 o f

th e Complaini . 3 . FLIGHTS'

I A Radmit s the allegation s containedi n paragraph 3 o l Ih

e Complaint . 4 . 1'LIGHTSTA R

### dem'rs the allegation s containedi n paragraph 4 o

f tli e Complaint .• yDM S 21002/00 5 11/24/201 0 11:1 1 FA X 202493514 2 FA A



### 3 . FLIGHTS! ' A

RlacJc s knowledg e o

r informntio n sufficien t t o for mabelie f a s t o the tnit h o r falsit y of th e allcgaiinn s containedin parajjiap h 5 o f tii c Complain

t an dtherefore , denie s sam e an ddemand s stric t

proof thereof . 6 . FLlGHTSTA

Rdenios j the allecation s containedi n peragrap h 6 o f th e Complaim . U . 11 . FLlGHTSTA

Rdenie s tha

t i t violate d1 4 CF.R , §43.13(a) . b . FLlGHTSTA

Rdenie s tha

t i t violate d1 4 CF.R . §145.205(a) . FLlGHTSTA

Rdenie s tha

t pursuan t t o 4 9 U.S.C . §46.301 . i

t i s subject t o acivi l penedt

y not to excee d$1,100 fo

r eac h of th e violation s alleged . FLlGHTSTA

Rdenie s tha

t unde r thr . facts an

dcircumsttmce s o f

thi s ca,sc . f

i civil penalt

y of $2,200.00 i s flppopriatc. An y matte r not specificall y admittedb

y FLIGHT.STA R

### shall b e deeme ddenied , AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSR S 1 . I D determinin g th

e civi l penaJi

y amount , th

e Complainan

t ha.' ^ f?iTlc dl o conside r (1 ) th e nptur e an dcircumstance aof

th e violation ; (2 ) th e exten

t an dgravit y o f th e violation ; (3 ) th e Tcspnndait'. s degree of

culpability ; (4 ) th e respondent' s histor y o f prio r vinlarioDs , i f

any ; (5 ) th e respondent' s abilit

y to pa y th e civil penalty ; (6 ) th e eflec t o n the entity' s Jibiht

y t o sta y in bu.'sines.s ; an

d(7 ) othe r matter s a." ) justic e mn

y require . Se

e 4 9 U.S.C . §46301(c)(2) ; Se e als o Fobom'i-Air

Se:rvfce , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe

r 6 , 2008) , p . 11 . 2 . I n derermining th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan

t ha af&\ M + o determine whethe

r th e violatio n wa

s inadverten

t o r deliberate .* DM S 121003/00 5 11/24/201 0 11:1 1 FA X 202493514 2 FA A

3 . T n dctcrmiTiin g th e civi l penalty amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o conside r

th r Respondent' s sire , particularl y i n determinin g th e allege doffender' s ability t o aK^r b ih c s-anction . 4 . Th e propose dcivi l penalt y fail s l o reflec t th e totalit y o f

th e ciitu mstance s surroundin g th e violations . Se c Folsom'sAi r Service , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe r 6,2008) , p . 12 : Easter n Ai r

Center , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008- 3 (January 2? , 2008) . 5 . FLlGHTSTA Rdoe s no t hav e th e financial abilit y t o pa y th e propose dcivi l penalty . 6 . Th e propose dcivi l pcnajr y woul dhav e adetrimenta l effw t o n th e ability o f

FLlGHTSTA R t o continu e doin g businc.?.? . 7 . FLlGHTSTA Rrelie s upo n the , affirmativ e defens e o f rea.Honabl

e reliance. 8 . Th e Federa l Aviatio n Administration' s (b'AA's ) interpretatio n o f it,< ! FisHera

l Aviatio n Regulation s i n thi s cas e i s arbitrary , capricious , a n abus e o f discretion , o r

otherwis e no t

i n accordanc e wit

h law . Se e 5 U.S.C . § 706(2 ) (A) ; Warktn av. NTSU , 17 8 F..3 d959 . 9fi 1 (8t h Cir. 1999) . 9 . Th e FAA' s interpretatio n o f it s aviatio n reftulation. ? i s uncon.^titiitionall y vague . Se e 7"^»ma i V . Hinson , 7 4 F.3 d888 , 88 9 (8t h Cir . 1996) ; see als o Tran s State s Airlinen , Inc . v . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d$63 , 864-86 5 (8th Cir . 2006) ; Heat h v . SEC , 200 9 U.S . App . LEXI S 2412 8 a i '53-55 . 10 . ITi o FAA' S applicatio n o f

it s Federa l Aviatio n Regulation s in thi s cas e i s contrar y t o th e regulation' s plai n language . ^ecAdvant aUSA , Inc . v. Chan , 35 0 F,3 d726 , 72 8 (8th Cir . 2003) , quotin g Gardebrw c v . Jmhrn , 48 5 U.S . 415,430,10 8 S . Ct . 1306,9 9 L . Ed . 2 d51 5 (198R) . Se e als o Tra mState s Airlitu'.s . Inc . v . F><^ , 43 9 r.3 d863,864-86. 5 (8t h Cir , 2006) .. QM S 21004/00 5 11/24/201 0 ir. n FA X 202493514 2 FA A

11 . Respondcn ) a.'ssen s tha t th e Complainan t

ha s faile dl o stat e aclai mupo n whic h l]-> e relie f requeste dma y b e granied . 12 . Responden t

assert s that

th e Complainan t

lack s substontia l basi s i n law an dfac t t o continu e pro.secuiio n o f

thi s matte r

aE-'ms t it . Dated : Novembe r

17 , 201 0 Respcctiiill y I

Suit e 45 0 Rockvillr . M D 2085 0 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax : (301 ) 294-252 5 Greg@Avifiion T .;iw£xpefts.co m Counse l to r

Responden t11/24/201 0 11:1 1 FA X 202493514 2 FA A + DM S @l005/00 5

CF.RIIFTCAT E O F SERVIC E I hereb y ccirrif

y tha t I hav e thi s dat e serve db y regula r U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , s n urlglna l an d on e (1 ) cop y o f

th e foregoin g Answe r

addrcs.-?c d)" • Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk . A<;KV43 0 Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n 800 Indcpcndonr e Avenue , S,W . Suit e 2W1000 Washington , D.C , 2059 1 And , fiirthcr , that

1 hav e thi s dat e serve dvi? i fscsiinil e andreRida r

U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , a cop y o f th e foregoin g Answe r

addresse dto : GlrrmL . Brow n Senio r Altome y Federa l Aviario n Administratio n Grea t Lake s Region , AGL- 7 230 0 Devo n Avenu e DesPlaines . IL 6001 8 Tel ; 847-294-706 3 Fax ; 847-294-749 8 Dated : Novembe r

17 . 201 0 TNTON , ESQ . , La w Fir m On e Researc h Cou n Suit e 45 0 Rockville , M D 2085 0 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax : (301 ) 294-252 5