06/15/2012 15:41 2023313933 

June 15, 2012 

The Honorable Ronnie A. Yoder 

Chief Administrative Law Judge 

U.S. Department ofTra.n:sportation 

'1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. (El1~310) 

:~Washington, DC 20590 

KIRSTEIN&YOUNGPLLC 

· ·:RE: Auswe.- ot Aero Micronesia, Inc. d/b/a Asia Pacific Airlines 

FAA Case No. 20UWP3S0018 

FDMS NO. F AA-2012·0468 

.·Dear Judge Yoder; 

PAGE 02/10 

I

. ? (~ .. ' .J ' 

In Answer to the Corup1~int filed in the above ref-erenced case, Aero Micronesia d/b/a Asia Pacific 

Airlines, admits numbered paragraphs 1-8. lt denies the allegation in paragraph 9. The weight of 

:the cargo indicated in paragraph 3 of the Complaint did not exceed l 0~ 000 pounds. Aero 

Micronesia denies para,graph 10 to the extent FAA is claiming it can bring a second chat·ge, not 

mentioned in its original LOJ or proposed civil penalty, at this time. 

As to paragntph III.a. Aero Microp:esia denies that it operated the aircraft mentioned in numbered 

paragraph 2 without complying with the operating l.imitatio:ns in the Airplane Flight Manual. As to 

paragraph Iri.b,, AeJ;o Micronesia denies that the technical inaccuracy contained in. the .. Load 

Planner-Weight Manifest'' constitutes a material violations of§ 121..665. 

The evidence will show that the flight was operated in accordance with the operating limitations 

because the engine and rel"ted mounts and supports weighed less than 10,000 pounds. Further, the 

error in the subject load manifest was inadvertent and lnunaterial as it showed a weight that was 

higher than the actual weight and did not affect the weight/balance ()fthe aircraft or represent any .safety risk. · 

Tire personnel who created the load man~fest had an inaccurate weight for. the engine (slightly ovet 

: 10,000 pounds) but believed that they had resolved the problem by distributiAg the weight over 

three zones. as stated in the "'Load Planner-Weight Manifest.>• However~ because the support for the 

engine was in zone 8 all of the' engi~e weight was in zone 8. Although the load manifest at issue in 

this Complaint contained some tecb.Q.ical inaccuracies, the fact that the engine was being transported 

in compliance with the operating limitations of the Boeing 727-200 was accurately reflected h1 the 

manifest. Tbe minor inaccuracy regarding exactly how the engine was being transported in 

accordance with. the operating limitations (either by being under the zone 8 weight limit o.r having 

the weight distributed over thret;: zones) does not warrant enforcement action, and certainly does not 

wa.n:ant a penalty close to the maximum authodzed by law. 
06/15/2012 15:41 2023313933 KIRSTEIN&VOUNGPLLC 

Answer of Aero Micronesia dlb/a Asia .Pacific Airlines 

FDMS No. FAA~2012~0468 

June 15, 2012 

.Page 2 

PAGE 03/10 

The FAA's c-onduct of this investigation was not in compliance with its O\Vn entbroemen:t and 

investigation procedures and the proposed penalty is e~cessive. The FAA started a:n LOI for this 

case on April1t 2011 and I repli.ed on behalfofthe Company on April 20.2011 refuting the charge 

and supplying independent information confirming that the weight was under 10,000 pounds. The 

'FAA did not reply. At no time bet~'een the beginning of this case and now has the FAA ever · 

supplied any evidence the engine in questkm weighed mo.re than 10,000 pounds, nor have they 

refuted any ofthe material that I supplied e,-:plainfng that the engine, in fact, weighed less than 

I 0>000 pounds. 

I heard nothing more from the FAA until another 147 days later when Aero Micronesia received a 

Notice ofProposed Penalty from the Regional Counsel in LA. That letter was dated September 15, 

20 ll. Up to this point~ th~ Company had assumed the .FAA had closed the matter wjth no action 

since the time paSl!led was very long. After hearing from the regional attomey~ we requested an 

lnfonnal conference~ held on October 14.2011 and asked that the evidence used in tWs case be 

supplied. . 

After receiving a pack~ge from the FAA, I had additiQnal discussions with the regional attorney 

over the next several months. When it became evide.t',lt that the FAA had no evidence of the engine 

being overweight, they filed m Amended Notice of Proposed Penalty on March 11,2012. This 

notice placed us in an e.itht;r/or situation by adding a new charge. They stated that if the engine 

actually weighed less than 10.000 poWids, then we were in vlolatiol) ofil'AR 121.665 for having 

filed ru:l incorrect load manifest. Rather than pleading «in the alternative/' FAA should have 

withdrawn the alleged violation.of §91.9, as is required by the FAA Compliance and Enforcement 

Program, Order 2150.3.B. Page 5 .. 17 of that order, r~garding infonnal conferences, states that; "Any 

violation~ charged that are disproved by the information presented at this conference are 

withdmwn.." 

Shortly thereafter in a letter dated April23. 20120 I offered to settle thf;l matter by paying a $4,000 · 

penalty based on. an alleged violation of 121.665. They refused. TI1e $1.9.250 fine proposed by the 

FAA is excessive. An .U:w:hterte.nt inaco'Uracy ou a load manifest certainly does not warrant a t1ne in 

the upper end of the ma:xbpu.m fme range for an .air carrier of the type and size of Asia Pacific, as 

described in the above referenced order. 

Further, in assessing this fine, 'FAA improperly considered prior alleged violations that resulted in 

no action and gave more weight to violations.that t~su.lted in mere administrative actions than 

warra:nted .. During the course of the info.rma~ conference, the FAA provlded a document from.tbe 

HNL CMO as an lOP (item of proof) that they admitted using in determining the level of fine to 

assess. This was an internal FAA document not normally supplied to a carrier and generally 

unavailable to us and it subst~tially mis-stated Aero Micronesia's compliance record by 

enumerating every investigation' initiated agaillst Aero Micronesia since it commenced service in 

2000~ but omitting the resulta of those investigations. I requested allother.vers'ion of this document 

from the FAA in Oklahoma City wJth the actual enforcement actio.ns li~-ted which showed that one 

third of what the HNL CMO listed as «violations," were .• in fact. not violations. Ten out of the 

thlrty line items had been closed by the FAA with NO ACTION. Moreover. only three resulted in 

civil penalties. See Exhibit l attached. 
06/15/2012 15:41 2023313933 KIRSTEIN&YOUNGPLLC 

Answer of Aero Micronesia. d/b/a Asia Pacific Airlines 

FDMS No. FAA-2012-0468 

June 15,2012 

Page3 

. '' ......................... ~ ...... '" .... ' 

PAGE 04/10 

We believe it a grievous i.Qjustice for the government to use this type of process to go after a small 

company such as ours for what amounts to a very minor transgression .. ,.the equivalent of doing 31 MPH in a 30 zone. 

WHEREFORE Aero Micronesia :respectfully requests dismissal ofthe alleged violation of 14 

C.F.R, § 91.9(a) and a substantial reduction in or no penalty for the aUeged violation of 14 C.F.R. §121.665. 

CC: Da.vjd Kirstein ofKit"stcin & Young. PLLC. 

Don Bobe.rtz; Complainants Counsel 

I~AA. 800 Independence-Ave. 

Certificate of Service 

l certify that on ~s date I have placed in the United States mail. postage prepaid. certified mail~ 

retum receipt requested~ the executed original and faxed one copy of the forgoing Answer in FDMS 

No FAA"201.2-0469, addressed as follows: 

Federal Aviation .Administration 

800 Independence A venue, SW 

Washi11gton> DC 20591 

Attn: Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 

Wilbur Wright Building- Suite 2W100 Fac~imile: (202) 493-5142 

I certify that on this date I have placed in the United States mail, postage prepaid, ce1tified 

mail-return rece~pt requested and, a true copy ofthe foregoing Answer in FDMS No F AA~20 12-

0469. and faxed one copy, addressed as follows: 
06/15/2012 15:41 2023313933 KIRSTEIN&VOUNGPLLC 

Answer of Aero Micronesia d/b/a Asia Pacific Airlines 

FDMS No. FAA-20 12~0468 

J1me IS. 2012 

Page4 

Do.n Bobettz, 

Complainant '.s Counsel 

Office of the Regional Counsel. A WP-7 

POBox 92007 

tos Angeles. CA 90009-2007 

J:A.X: 31QM72.5~68}6 

The Honorable Ronnie A. Yoder 

Chi~f Ad:ministtative Law Judge 

U.S. Department of Y ran.sportation 

Office of Hearings, M-20 

1200 New Jersey Ave.~ S.E (El J ~31 0) 

Was1ungton, DC 20590 

FAX: 202~366-7536 

Dated: June 15~ 2012 

~~ MikeQ . 

President. A.eto Micron!i'sia 

0 """''"'"''"• '~"'"''"''M""'M"'UOU 0•0 0 

PAGE 05/10 
05/15/2012 15:41 

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