08/15/2012 09:05 4252271007 ANM7



### FACSIMILE MESSAGE
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OFFICE Ol' REGIONAL COUNSEL ANM-7 1601 LIND AVENUE S.W. RENTON, WASHINGTON 98057 PAGE 01/09



### The information contained in this facsimile message 

### i.s legally privileged and confidential information and is intended only for the use ofthe individual named onthis cover sheet. Ifthe reader ofthis message 

### is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, distribution, or copy ofthis facsimile is strictly prohibited. Ifyou have received this facsimile in error, please immediately notify us by telephone at 

### 425-227-2007.



### DATE: August 15, 

### 2012 NO. PAGES: 9 

## including cover TO: Docket Clerk AGC-430 FROM: 

## I

## effrey Harper FAX NO.: 

## 202-493-5142 FAX NO.: 

## 425..:227-l007 PHONE NO.: PHONE NO.: 

## 425-227-2007 RE: Complaint- 

### .FAA Case EMAIL: JEFFREY.HARPER@FAA.GOV 

### No. 201lNM060073 

## Complaint andrequest for hearing attached.



# - rJVv0 

# ease dOl.)- 

# Drt.908/15/2012 09:05 

# 0

U.S. Department OfTransportation 4252271007**AN1~7**

1601 Lind Avenue S.W. Renton, Washington 

### 98057 Tel: 

### (425) 227-216! PAGE 02/09



### Federal Aviation Administration Office ofRegional Counsel Northwest Mountain Region Colorado, Idaho, .Montru:ta, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming 

### Fax: (425) 227-1007 JEFFREY.HARPER@PAA.GOV August 15,2012 

### VIA FACSIMILE AND CERTIFIED MAIL" RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Attn: Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 Hearing Docket Federal Aviation Administration (Wilbur WrightBldg-- Room 2WJ 000) 800 Independence Avenue S.W. Washington, D.C. 20591 

### Re: In theMatter of

### SkyWest Airlines, FAA 

## Case No. 2011NM060073 Enclosed is 

### w original and one copy ofa request for hearing and Complaint in the abovereferenced proceeding. 

### TI1e Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requests that the hearing in this matter beheld in Salt Lake City, Utah, and expects that tbe hearing will last one (1) day. For scheduling pUrposes, FAA Attorney, Jeffrey Harper

### will be unavailable 'due to 

### military duty on October 12-15, November 2-5, and November 31-December 3, 2012. Please address all communications for 

### tl1e FAAto the undersigned 

### at

Sincerely, Federal Aviation Adrninjstration NorthwestMountain Region, ANM-7 1601 Lind Avenue S.W. Renton, Washington 98057 Telephone: (425) 227-2161 FAX: 

### (425) 227-1007

# .tf/h,,~

# JA~arper. · FAA Attorney .JMH/ds .Enclosures: Request for Hearing (Appeal) 

### Complaint08/15/2012 09:05 4252271007 ANM7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ·a

9 10 ll 12 13. 14 15 16 17 l.S. H 2D 21 22 23 24. 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 JEFFREY HARPER 

### FAA OFFICE OF REGIONAL COUNSEL 1601 LINDAVE.,SW RENTON, WASI-!INGTON 98057 TELEPHONE: (425) 227·2161 FACSIMILE: (425) 227-1007 

### UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF HEARINGS

WASIDNG'rON, D.C.

tn the Matter of: FAA Case No. 2011NM060073 

### SkyWest Airlines Judge Not Assigned

JUDGENOT ASSIGNED: 

### COMPLAINT
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), by counsel, hereby files its Complaint,

32 

### pursuant to R)l!e 208 

### ofthe Rules ofPract)ce.(l4 Code ofFederal**~egulations** 

### (C.P.R.) 33 31 35 36 37 38 39 10 11 42 43 

### Section 

### 13.208), and states as follows: 

### I.
On July 26, 2012, Sky

### West Airlines, 

### Inc., was advised through a Final Notice of Proposed Civil Penalty that the FAA proposed to assess a civil penalty in 1he amount of

44 

### $40,000. On August 8, 

### 2012, Sky

### WestAirlines, Inc., through legal counsel, submitted 

### a 45 46 17 1S**4~** 50 Sl. 52 53 

### written request for a hearing.


### II. PAGE 03/09



### COMPLAINT FAA v. SkyWest 

### Airlines, Inc. FAA 

### Case No. 2011NM060073 hge2 of7 JEFFREY

### M. 1'-!P..RPER, 

### FAA ATTORNEY TEL: 425.227.1417; 

### FAX: 425.227.100708/15/2012 09:05 4252271007 ANM7 PAGE 04/09

l 2 3 

# • 5 6 7 B 9 10 11 l2 13 14 l.S 16 17 lB 19 20 2l 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33· 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

. 43

44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 1.



### 2.

3.

4.



### 5.



### 6.



### 7.

. 8.



### 9. SkyWest Airlines (SkyWest), is now and was at all times material was the holder of Scheduled Air Carrier Certificate No. SWIAOllA, and conducts its operations pursuant to Part 121 ofthe Federal Aviation Regulations.(FAR)

. Paragraph

## n·oss ofSkyWest's Operations Specifications (OpSpecs) authorizes SkyWest to use N937SW, 

### a Bombardier Ct-600-2B19 civil aircraft, 

### in the conduct of SkyWest's 

### Part 121 operations. Paragraph A098 ofSkyWeses OpSpecs requires that aircraft loading for Bombardier CL-600-2819 aircraft be accomplished in accordance with SkyWest's Weight & Balance Operations Manual, SP41 00, 

## CW &B Manual), "Part

### XII, revision Orig of

### I APR 10." SkyWest's W&B Manual contains the loading schedules and instructions for SkyWest's Bombardier CL-600-2B19 aircraft. SkyWest's W&B Man.rial, Chapter 2, paragraph 2.A.58 defines "Standard Checked Bag" 

### as a "checked bag weighing 50 lb or less." Sky West's W&B Manual, Chapter 2, paragraph 2.A.50 defines "Plancside Valet Bag" as "[e]quivalentto a Planeside Lmided Bag or Service Item." SkyWest's W&B Manual, Chapter 2, paragraph 

### 2.A.55 defines "Service

### ltem" as "[e]quivaJent to aPianeside Loaded or Planeside ValetBag." SkyWest's W&B Manual, Chapter 2, paragraph 2.A.49 defines ''Planeside Loade.d Bag as "[a]ny bag or item that is placed atthe door or steps ofan aircraft or inthe passenger loadiDg bridge and subsequently placed in the aircraft cargo bin/pit. Referred to as Planeside Valet/Service Item on the CLR [Cargo Load Report]." SkyWest's W&B Manual (Temporary Revision dated 14 FEB) 1), Chapter 3, paragraph 

### 3.B.2. states the flight deck crewme:inber uses the information from the CLRto construct the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) load manifest.
10. SkyWest's W&B Manual (Temporary Revision dated 14 FEB 11), Chapter 3, paragraph 2.D.l states the "designated CD Ground Operations loading agent evaluates 

### the classification o:fall checked baggage (either standard orheavy). The designated loading a.gent mustmarkthe number ofstandard and heavy checked baggage onthe CtR."
11. SkyWest's W&B Manual (Temporary Revision dated 

### 14 FEB 

### 11), Chapter 

### 3, paragraph 2.1.2 states that "[u]pon completion ofloading the cargo bin/pit, the designated loading agent must verify the piece count ofall Standard Checked, Heavy Checked, and Planeside Loaded/Service hem Baggage

..."

COMPLAINT JEFFREYM. HAJ>.?El'., J'AAATTORNEY TEL: 425.227.1417; FAX: 425.227.1007 FAAv. Sky West Airlines, Inc. FAA Case No. 20llNM060073 Page 3 of708/15/2012 09:05 4252271007 ANM7 PAGE 05/09

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 9 

### 12.



### 13. SkyWest's W&B Manual, Chapter4, paragraph 8.8, requires the loading agent to write the total number ofstandard checked baggage loaded ineach cargo bin/pit in the appropriate "Standard Checked" block on the CLR. SkyWest's W&B Manual, Chapter 

### 4, paragraph 

### 8.10, requires the loading agent to write the total number 

### ofPlaneside Valet/Service Items loaded in each cargo bin/pit 

### in the appropriate "Pianeside Valet'Service Items" block on the CLR.

10 14. 

### SkyWest's W&B Manual, Chapter 

### 4, paragraph 

### 11

- Aircraft Loading, contains the wammg: 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 ).9 20

. 21 22 23

### ~WARNING -INACCURATE LOADING, REPORTING, OR FAILURE TO REPORT INFORMATION COULD CAUSE ISSUES WITH AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING, RESULTING IN THE ENDANGERMENT OF HUI\IIAN LIFE. 

## m.

24 

### 15. OnJune

### 2, 2011, at George Bush Intercontinental 

### I Houston Airport (IAH), Houston, Texas, SkyWest loaded passengers and baggage ontoN937SW, to be operated 

### as Flight 5840 bound for Charlotte I 

### Douglas Intemational Airport (CLT), Charlotte, North Carolina. 25 26 27 29. 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 36 39 qO 41 42 43 

### 17.

18.



### 19. SkyWest's personnel at 

### IAH loaded 

### 27 standard checkedbags and 20 planeside loadedbags onto N937SW. The CLR for Flight 5840 lists 19 standard checked bags 

### and 15 planc:;side loadedbags onboardN937SW.
The inaccurate data onthe CLR was used to prepare the ACARS load manifest for Flighf5840. Sky Westthereafter operated N937SW as Flight 5840 to CLT. IV.

44 20. 

### SkyWest has paid civil penalties in eight previous cases involving loading ofcargo and baggage contrary to approved procedures: 45 46 47 4S 49 

### so 51 52 53 

## v. By reason ofthe foregoing facts and circumstances, SkyWest violated the following sections
ofthe Federal Aviation RegulatiOJlS (14 CJ'.R.):
COMPLAINT FAA v. 

### SkyWest Airlines, Inc. FAA Case No. 2011NM060073 Page 4 of7 JEFFREY M. HARPER, 

### FAA AITORNEY 

### TEL: 425.227.1417; FAX: 425.227.100708/15/2012 09:05 4252271007 ANM7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a. Section 119.S(g), 

### in that, as a direct air carrier, it operated in violation ofaJJ · appropriate operations specifications.
b. Section 119.5(1), in that it operated aircraft under Part 121 in violation ofits operations specifications.

a c. Section 121.693(a), in that it operated flights without a load manifest that 9 accurately refl.ected the weight ofthe cargo andbagga.ge. 10 11 

# '·'" 13 14 15**1~** 17

.,_ 8 19 

### 2 . d. Section 121.693(c), inthat itoperated flights when the total weight ofthe aircraft was not computed under appro,ved procedures.

e. Secti.on 121.693(d), in that 

### it operated fl.ights when the aircraft was not loaded according to an approved schedule.
In accordance with Sections 46301(a) and (d) ofTitle 49 ofthe United States Code

20 (U.S.C.) (Transportation) [49 U.S.C. Sections 46301(a) and (d)], SkyWest is liable for a civil 21 22 23 24 penalty notto exceed $27,500 

### for each ofthe violations noted.

25 3. 26 Under the facts and circumstances of

### this case, a civil penalty of$40,000 is

27 28 29 :)0 

### n 32 3:) 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47. 18 49 50 51 52 53 appropriate. WHEREFORE, the Agency, by counsel, respectfully requests that 

### tl1e Administrative
LawJudge enter an order that SkyWest be assessed a civil penalty inthe amount of$40,000.

Respectfully submittedthis 

### 15'h day ofAugust, 2012.

# /7/);;,~~- rbarper

. . FAA Attorney PAGE 05/09

COMPLAINT FAA v. SlcyWcst Airlilles, Inc.· FAA Case No. 2011NM060073 Page 5 of7 JEFFREYM. HARPER. FAAATTORNEY TEL: 425.227.1417; 

### FAx: 425.227.100708/15/2012 09:05 4252271007 ANM7

1 

### ANSWER 2



### , In accordance with Section 13.209 ofthe FederalAviation Regulations, SkyWest Airlines, • Inc., must answer this Complaintnot later than thirty (30) days from the time it is seJ:Ved on s it. Failure to :61e an Answer within thirty (30) days without good cause shall bedeemed an

· 6 

### admission ofthe truth ofeach allegation contained 

### in the Complaint [14.C.F.R, Section

7 

### l3.209(f)].

. . 8 9 10 11 12 l.:l 14 15 16 17 18 1.9 20 21 22 23 24 25 29 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 

# ,,, 35 36 37 38 39 40 H 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 PAGE 07/09



### COMPLAINT FAA v. Sky West Airlines, Inc. FAA Case No. 2011NM060073 JEFFREYM. HARPER. 

### FAAATTORNEY TEL: 425.227.1417; 

### FAX: 425.227.1007

. Page 6 of708/15/2012 09:05

1 2 4252271007 ANM7



### CERTJFICATE OF SERVICE

3 I hereby certify thatthe foregoing Complaint has been serv.ed via facsimile and certified mail 4

- Return Receipt Requested 

### this date, to the following: 5 0 7 B 9 10 11 12 ,13 l4 15 16 17 18 19 20

. 21 22 

# .,. Federal Aviation Administration 

### (Original and one copy) Attn: Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 

### Wilbur Wright Bttilding- Suite 

### 2W1 000 800 Independence Avenue SW 

### Washington, 

### D.C

.. 20591 Fax: (202) 

### 493-5142

Todd Emerson, Esq. SkyWest Airlines 444 

### S. River Road 

### St. 

### George, UT 84790 TEL: (435) 634-3530 

### FAX: (435) 634-3505

24 Dated this15th day ofAugust, 2012. 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

. 34

35 36

. 37 38 39 40 41 42 43**.'~4** 45 45 47 48 49 so 

# 5" 52 53 

### · ana Stephenson 

## r · . Office of'Regionai Cooosel (ANM-7) Federal Aviation Admillistration 1601 Lind Ave. SW Renton, W

### A 98057 

### (425) 227-2164 PAGE 08/09

COMPLAINT 

### FAA

### v. SkyWest Airlines, Inc. FAA Case No. 

### 2011NM060073 Page 7 of7 JEfFREY

### M. HARPER, 

### FAA ATTOR:NEY TEL: 425.227.1417; FAx: 425.227.100708/15/2012 09:05 4252271007

Direct Diol; 435.634.3530 Direct Fox: 435.634.3505**e-mail~** l'emersonr1Uskvwest.com ANM7

August 8, 2012



### VIA FEDERAL EXPRESS Federa.l Aviation Administration ATTN: Bearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 

### Wilbur Wright Building- Suite 

### 2Wl000 800.Independence Avenue SW Wasl1ington, DC 20591
Re: 

### Case No. 

### 2011NM060073
Dear Sir!Jviadam:
The Final Notice ofProposed Civil Penalty in the above-referenced case was received 

### in our office on July 30; 2012.
Pursuant to§ !3. !6 (e) (2) (ii) ofFeclcral Air Regulations, Sky West Airlines hereby requests a hearing on this matter.

Todd C. Emerson. birector- Government and Legal Affairs
TCE/jb

cc: Jeffrey M. Harper

444 South River Road St.**Gr~orgG:',** Utah $4790 Phot"1e 435.634,3000**w~·vvv.skywest.Wii'1** PAGE 09/09