HAWAII'S #t ISLAND HOPPER Monday, April14, 2014
VIAFEDERALEXPRESS
Mr. Kevin D. Schlemmer Essential Air Service & DomesticAnalysis Division U.S. Department ofTransportation 1200 NewJerseyAve., SE Washington, DC 20590
Re: Docket DOT-OST-2000-6773: Applicationto Delay Award ofContractto Provide Essential Air Service at Kalaupapa, Hawaii commencing onor about May 31, 2014
Dear Mr. Shlemmer:
As you are aware, the undersigned is the President and CEO ofMokulele Flight Service, Inc. d/b/a Mokulele Airlines. Mokulele Airlines is one offour air carriers that submitted proposals in response to DOT Order 2013-10-3 requesting proposals to provide Essential Air Service ("EAS") at Kalaupapa, Hawaii for a contract term that was set to being on January 1, 2014. The existing contract with the incumbent provider expired on December 31, 2013 and the DOT had not concluded its review ofthe four proposals submitted in response to DOT Order 2013-10-3. Therefore, by DOT Order 2014-1-22 the contracttermfor the incumbentprovider SchumanAviation Company, Ltd d/b/aMakani Kai Charters was extended until May 31, 2014. Makani Kai Charters was also one ofthe four carriers submittingproposals inresponse to DOT Order2013-10-3. Unfortunately, bothMokulele Airlines and Makani Kai Charters had aircraft in their fleet involved in accidents within the last 7 months. On October 21,2013 a Mokulele Cessna 208B was forced to make an emergency landing 13 miles south ofthe Kahului Airport (OGG) and sustained substantial damage. Fortunately, the two person crew and eight passengers were not injured in the emergency landing. On December 11, 2013 a Cessna 208B operated by Makani Kai Charters lost engine power and crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Kalaupapa, Hawaii. The Makani Kai Charter accident resulted in a fatality, three passengers were seriously injured and five other passengers sustained minor injuries. Both of these accidents are presentlybeinginvestigatedbythe National Transportation Safety Board ("NTSB"). Copies of the NTSB's preliminary report's relating to these two accidents are attached hereto for your convemence. TheNTSB'sinvestigationinto both accidents is ongoing. The NTSB has not issued either its final factual report or its probable cause determination with respect to either ofthe accidents. NTSB is an independent Federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident. The NTSB determines the probable cause of the accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents. The results ofthe NTSB's investigation into the two accidents is likely to

73-350 t/'u Street: Koilw-I<Mo, Jl/967"10 Of'fice: 8"08"-930-5015 Fqx.· 8"08"-326-!266' www·moA'ule/eoir/iiJes·comHAWA!I'S #t tSL.AND HOPPER provide the Department and general public with significant information relating to the safety of both Mokulele Airlines and Makani Kai Charters. The generalpublic shouldhave the benefit ofthe results of the NTSB investigation when commenting onthe proposals presented. The public perception ofeachthe carrier's may be impacted once the details and conclusions ofthe NTSB's investigation are publically released. Therefore, the public should have the benefit of reviewing the NTSB's conclusions before finalizing their comments. Additionally, the Department ofTransportation should have the benefit ofthe NTSB's conclusions whenmaking a determinationwithrespectto eachofthe carrier'sproposals.
For the foregoing reasons, Mokulele Airlines respectfully requests that the Department of Transportation delay further consideration and a determination with respect to the four proposals submitted in response to DOT Order 2013-10-3 until such time as the NTSB completes its investigations and the general public has an opportunity to review the results ofthe investigations and comment on the proposals.

Enclosures cc: EAS@dot.gov Scott.faulk@dot.gov Sincerely,

# ~P~·- Ron Hansen

73-.350 t/'t1 Street Koilw-1<0/lq, Ill 96'7-70 Oflice: 8'08"-930-5015 Fa-!': 8'08"-326'-126'6' www·molfulelePirlilles·com