AFS

- 12

- 541

- E December 26, 2012

Exemption No. 10184A Regulatory Docket No. FAA

- 2010

- 1128

Mr. Santi Lombardo Vice President, Flight Operations Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. 40 South Main Street, Sui te 1400 Memphis, TN 38103

Dear Mr. Lombardo :

This letter is to inform you that we have g ranted your petition to extend and amend Exemption

No. 10184 . It explains the basis for our decision , describes its effect, and lists the revised

conditions and lim itations.

The Basis for Our Decision

By letter dated September 9, 2012 , you petitioned the Federal Aviation Adm inistration (FAA)

on behalf of Pin nacle Airlines, Inc. (Pinnacle), for an extension of Exemption No. 10184

. That exemption, if granted, would a llow a new Pinnacle pilot in command (PIC) that is subject to higher landing weather minimum requirements to operate to the normal, lower Category I minimums under the conditions stipulated.

Purs u ant to your petition, t h e FAA has amended Condition and Lim itation No. 1 to reference Operation Specifications (OpSp ec) D08 thereby limiting use of the exemption to operations

conducted in Pinnacle fleet 9E.

In your petition, you indicate that there has been no change in the conditions and reasons relative to pub lic interest and safety that were the basis for granting the original exemption.

The FAA has determined that good cause exists for not publishing a summary of the petition

in the Federal Register beca use the requested extension of the exemption would not set a precedent, and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Pinnacle

.2

Our Decision

The FAA has determined that the justification for the issuance of Exemption No. 10184 remains valid with respect to this exemption and is in the publi c interest. Therefore, under the authority provided by 49 U.S.C. 40113 and 44701, which the FAA Administrator has delegat ed to me, I grant your petition, subject to the following revised conditions and

limitations.

Conditions and Limitations

1. This exemp tion applies only to those aircraft identified as Pinnacle fleet (9E) in OpSpec paragraph D085.

2. General. To use either Category I or Category II instru ment approach procedure

weather minimums under any provisions of this exemption a certificate holder mu st

ensu re that its flightcrew training and qualification program meets the following general requirements:

a. Suitable low visibility instrument approach, landing, and missed approach

scenarios are included in flight training using the applicable airborne sy st em and appropriate training devices or simulators for those scenarios ; and

b. Specific approval by the certificate holder's principal operations inspector to use this exemption is obtained for each aircraft type.

3. Category I, specific. A PIC with fewer t han 100 hours as PIC in the airplane being operated may be authorized to use the lowest applicable Category I instrument approach minimums for a particular runway and instrument approach procedure if each of the following conditions is met:

a. The PIC and ot her required flightcrew members are trained and qualified for Category II or Category III, or are trained to an equivalent level with respect to the airborne system use, ground facility use, associated procedures, and any other relevant topics ;

b. The aircra ft and associated airborne systems are eligible for Category I or II for that operator when the certificate holder's approved training program incorporates the use of an approach coupler or a head

- up display ( HUD ) system that provides flight guidance infor mation to decision height ;

c. The approach coupler or HUD system is used for the approach to decision height or until initiation of a missed approach ;3

d. The flightcrew must use appropriate instrument approach procedures for Category II or III, or equivalent i nstrument approach procedures acceptable to the Administrator; and

e. Category I instrument approach procedures or landings will not be initiated when the weather conditions are below 4,000 runway visual range (3/4 mile visibility) and the cross

- wind compone nt exceeds 15 knots combined with a braking action report of less than "good."

4. Category II, specific. A PIC with fewer than 100 hours as PIC in the airplane being operated may conduct Category II operations in accordance with Operations Specifications par agraph C059 if each of the following conditions is met:

a. The PIC has at least 300 hours as a PIC or second in command in a turbojet airplane ;

b. The PIC and other required flightcrew members are trained and qualified in Category II or III instrument approac h procedures, and use those procedures appropriately ;

c. The aircraft and associated airborne systems are approved for Category III for the certificate holder, or for Category II for the certificate holder using an approach coupler and an autoland system or HUD which provides flight guidance information to decision height ; and

d. The approach coupler and autoland system or HUD is used for the instrument approach procedure and landing or until initiation of a missed approach.

The Effect of Our Decision

Our de cision extends the termination date of Exemption No. 10184 to January 31, 2015, unless sooner superseded or rescinded.

Sincerely,

/s/

John S. Duncan Deputy Director , Flight Standards Service