# f^i^n^Rr ^ ^ fl&c-3

JU L 1 3 1977 

### Hooorftbl e Parr« aS * JffitchcU HouB e o f Eepre«^it&tlv* « Washlogtoi u I

X C ^ aoSl S D»& r Parrca t TM s i s t nrespoae e to yoo r ioqulr y o f

SSa^ r 11 * 1877 . reqoftfftiag m « t o invefiUgBt

e th e maooe r

l avhlc hAir * Cardins I lntemAticnial » Inc. . 1 « bein g tre&te db y th e Ftclera l AviatitmAcbniiUstrfttlo a(FAA) , X hav e looke dInt o thl * matte r

wo A ca nappris e jro ao

f th e foUoviis g facta * Alr aCardixial Iatematlosial « £K, « a^^e dt o th e FAA reslooa l of£tc « l aU> 8 Angles . CaUfomiai « lo r aCotnm«rcia I O^rato r C«rtl£Lcatc <atiliziii g larg e aircraft ) vsuie r Par t 12 1 o f th e Federa l Aviatio nBegu latioi u (FAKs) . A

H applicant s fo r

aud i certiQcate s zauat

demoostrat e tha t thej r hav e enoug hqoalifile dperaoune l a afuU-tlm e emplOTee s an d adequat e equiponent

an dprocedore s t o provid e th e highes t degre e o f mifety i n conductin g operations * Air e Cardina l XntemationaU Inc. » me t thes e requirement s an dth e FAA issue dth e compan y aPar t 12 1 Comm^rds l Operato r

CertUlcat e an dappr^rlat e Operatlon aSpedfl eatlCBi s o nJun e &

, 1976 . Th e FAB aals o requir e Par t 1X 1 certlflcat e holder s t o remai n equippe duxi dabl e t o c«iduc t

<^ration s vit hth e highee t degre e o i safety * Durin g Septembe r

l$7d . Air e Cardina l intcmational j lac , loo t asccluslr e contro l of

it s tw o Doogla aZX:* 8 aircraft , cease dt o emplo y require dpersonne l o nafull-tim e basLs ^ an dcease doperating . B y letter s date dSeptembe r 1 0 an dNovembe r

t $ 1076 , froonth e FA

A t o Mr * Rober t

D* Powell , Prestdent * Air e Car^na l bttemational * lao« « th e compan y wa s advise dtha t I t shoul dsurrende r

it s Commercia l Operato r Certificat e i f

i t di dno t inten dt o resum e operation s immedi ately . B y atelephtm deal l o aSeptembe r 19 * 1976^ an dalette r

date d Morembe r

1& » ie7fi « fro mMr * Povell , th e FA A wa s advise dtha t Air s Cardina l Intematicntsl , Iac« » wa « secldn g ne w operatin g capital ; hov - «ver « th e Cwnmercia l Operato r Cartificat e wa s Aot

aorreadersd .

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## J

/ /

O n Januar y 21 , 1977 , aNotic e waj s issue dt o Air e Cardina l International , Inc. , informin g th e compan y tha t th e FA A propose dt o revok e It s Commercia l Operato r Certificat e fo r

yiolatlan B o f

Sectlonfl 121.155(c ) an d121 - 59(a ) o f

th e FARs . O n Marc h8 , 1977 , anc ha n Orde r o fftevocatio n wa s Issue d(cop y enclosed) . Air e Cardina l International , Inc. , ha s appeale dth e Orde r

o f Revocatio n t o th e Nationa l Transportatio n Safet y Boar d(NTSB ) an dth e cas e i s presentl y awaitin g aheajln g befor e a n Administrativ e LA WJudge . W e canno t agre e wit hadescriptio n o f Air e Cardinal' s apparen t

violation s o f

th e FAR s a a%ase dupo n technicalities .

... " Th e requiremen t fo r acommercia l operato r t o hav e th e exclusiv e u s e an dcontro l o f

a t leas t on e aircraf t

focuse s th e responsibilit y upo n th e operato r

— t o th e excluaics i o f

al l othei ^ —t o assur e tha t th e aircraf t receive s prope r

maintenanc e an di s kep t i n a n airworth y condition . Th e requiremen t

fo r acommercia l operato r t o retai n ke y managemen t an d operaticm s personne l a s full-tim e employee s guard s agains t th e us e o f imtraine dan dinexperience dmanagemen t official s wh o hav e no t bee n determine dqualifie dt o mak e importan t safet y judgments . W e vie w thes e regulator y requirement s a s paramoun t safet y consideration s full y consis ten t wit hacommercia l operator' s lega l obUgatio n t o conduc t operation s wit hth e highes t

degre e o f

safety . Air e Cardinal , throug hit s counsel , file daMotio n wit hth e NTS B t o dismis s th e FAA' B revocatio n actio n o n ground s tha t th e violation s allege dwer e merel y technica l ian draise dn o issu e o f qualificatio n o r safety . O n Ma y 11 , 1977 , NTS B Administratiav e La v Judg e Patric k G . Geraght y Issue da n Orde r denyin g th e Motio n t o Dismis s (cop y enclosed) . I n you r lette r yo u expresse dconce mabou t th e procedure s whic hwoul d permi t Air e Cardina l t o resum e (^erationB . Thei ^ ar e tw o alternativ e possibilities . I f

th e Orde r

o f Revocatio n i s affirme db y NTSB , Air e Cardina l wil l b e require dt o appl y fo r ane w Par t

12 1 Commercia l Operato r

Certificate . I f

Air e Cardina l i s abl e t o demonstrat e a n abilit y t o conduc t

operation s i n accordanc e wit hth e safet y requirement s befor e thi s cas e i s schedule dfo r hearing , th e FA A wil l hav e th e optio n o f changin g It s Orde r

o f Revocatio n t o a n Orde r o f Suspension . Thi s orde r couf i b e mad e retroactiv e fo r th e perio do f

tim e tha t

th e compan y cease doperations . Yo u mus t realiz e tha t

aconsiderabl e perio do f tim e ha s elapse dsinc e Air e Cardinal' s las t operations . I t

i s ou r responsibUlt f

t o assur e tha t

the y ar e presentl y qualifie dfro masafet y standpoin t

t o operat e unde r

Par t 121 . I understan dtha t Air e Cardina l personne l ar e cooperatin g i n thi s regar dan dou r peopl e ar e makin g thei r bes t efforts . I an acertai n yo u woul dagre e tha t Air e Cardina l shoul d no t b e grante da n exemptlc mfro mth e applicatio n o f th e aviatio n safet y regulation s becaus e i t happen s t o b e aminorit y businea aenterprise .

### I hav e heti i assure db y th e FAA tha t th e rasmnptlo aof

operaticsi s b y Air e Cardina l laiemaUooal * faic.» a s aPar t 12 1 commercia l operator * I s totally dependen t

sa dcwotli^en t

ool y apo ntha t

company* * abilit y t o B»eet th e requirem«it s of. an dcoooopl y vith « th e FARs . Sunil dyo u hav e ftuthe r

QuestioD s i nthi s aaatter * pleas e d o no t hesitat e t o contac t

m« « &iacaraiy . Broc k Adam s fbclosure ^

BISelfon:AGC-l/Lawson:AHE-7:ct:x63775:5/31/7 7 c c : kQZ-Xnn ^ AFS- 1 AQ4-3 , AQA-3A , S-1/2/30 , TGC , XAD , TCI , S-1 0 

### feeC-l-*34

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