o 

U.S. Department Northwest Mountain Region 1601 Lind Avenue S.W. 

Of Transportation Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Renton, Washington 98057 

Federal Aviation Oregon, Utah, Washington, Tel: (425)227-2161 

Administration Wyoming Fax:(425)227-1007 

Office of Regional Counsel JEFFREY.HARPER@FAA.GOV 

January 24,2011 : ] ' 

VIA FACSIMILE AND CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED [li ,,.:. i $' 

( ^ ^-^ i 

Attn: Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 — Q§ ^ 

Hearing Docket ^ o5 

Federal Aviation Administration 

(Wilbur Wright Bldg - Room 2W1000) 

800 Independence Avenue S.W. Ml ^ I 

Washington, D.C. 20591 ^^^S^^^ ^ fftf^ ^ Pd-OQ^ ^ 

Re: In the Matter of SkyWest Airlines, FAA Case Nos. 2009NM060124 & 2010NM060020 , ^ 

Enclosed herewith please find a copy of a request for hearing and the original and one copy of the ' ^ H 

Complaint in the above-referenced proceeding. ©"(i l« 7 

The FAA requests that the hearing in this matter be held in Salt Lake City, Utah or Portland, Oregon, 

and expects tiiat the hearing will last three (3) days. 

For scheduling purposes. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) attorney, Jeffrey M. Harper will be 

unavailable in year 2011: March 13 and March 26. 

Please address all communications for the FAA to the undersigned at: 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Northwest Mountain Region, ANM-7 

1601 Lind Avenue S.W. 

Renton, Washington 98057 

Telephone: 425.227.2161 

FAX: 425.227.1007 

Sincerely, 

ferer »^ECEIVED 

Enclosures: Request for Hearing (Appeal) ^'^^ ^ ' ^ " 

^^^^P^'^"' HEARING DOCKET 
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JEFFREY M. HARPER 

FAA OFFICE OF REGIONAL COUNSEL 

1601 LIND AVE., SW 

RENTON, WASHINGTON 98057 

TELEPHONE: 425.227.2161 

FACSIMILE: 425.227.1007 

ECEIVE 

'FARING DOCKET 

In the Matter of: 

SkyWest Airlines 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

OFFICE OF HEARINGS 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

FAA DOCKET CP Unassigned 

FAA Case Nos. 2009NM060124 & 

2010NM060020 

Judge Unassigned 

JUDGE NOT ASSIGNED: 

COMPLAINT 

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

pursuant to Rule 208 of the Rules of Practice (14 CFR § 13.208), and states as follows: 

I. 

On December 21, 2010, SkyWest Airlines was advised through a Final Notice of 

Proposed Civil Penalty that the FAA proposed to assess a civil penalty in the amount of $45,000. 

On January 5,2011, SkyWest, through its legal counsel, submitted a written request for a 

hearing. 

II. 

1. SkyWest Airlines, Inc. ("SkyWest") is now and was at all times material hereto, the holder 

of Scheduled Air Carrier Certificate No. SWIAOl 1A and conducts its operations per FAR 

Part 121. 

2. SkyWest Operations Specification D085 authorizes SkyWest to use civil aircraft N452SW, 

a Bombardier CL-600-2B19, in the conduct of its Part 121 operations. 

COMPLAINT 

FAA V. SkyWest Airlines 

2009NM060124 & 2010NM060020 

Page 2 of? 

JEFFREY M. HARPER, FAA ATTORNEY 

TEL: 425.227.2161; FAX: 425.227.1007 
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SkyWest Operations Specification D085 authorizes SkyWest to use civil aircraft N416SW, 

a Bombardier CL-600-2B19, in the conduct of its Part 121 operations. 

4. SkyWest Operations Specification D085 authorizes SkyWest to use civil aircraft N943SW, 

a Bombardier CL-600-2B19, in the conduct of its Part 121 operations. 

5. SkyWest Operations Specification D085 authorizes SkyWest to use civil aircraft N910EV, 

a Bombardier CL-600-2B19, in the conduct of its Part 121 operations. 

6. SkyWest Operations Specification D085 authorizes SkyWest to use civil aircraft N782SK, 

a. Bombardier CL-600-2C10, in the conduct of its Part 121 operations. 

7. SkyWest Operations Specification A098 requires that loading be accomplished per 

SkyWest's Weight & Balance Operations Manual ("W&B Manual"). 

8. SkyWest's W&B Manual, SP 4100, Part XII, contains the loading schedules and 

instructions for SkyWest's Bombardier CL-600-2C10 and -2B19 aircraft. 

9. SkyWest's W&B Manual, SP4100, Part XII, Chapter 1, para. 8.B.22, Revision 05, defines 

Heavy Checked Bags as any bag weighing more than 50 pounds, but less than 100 pounds. 

10. SkyWest's W&B Manual, SP 4100, Part XII, Chapter 5, para. 9.F. 10, Revision 05, requires 

the total number of heavy checked bags to be entered on the Cargo Load Report ("CLR"). 

11. SkyWest's W&B Manual, SP 4100, Part XH, Chapter 2, para. 2.C.1, Revision 05, requires 

the loading agent to mark on the CLR the weight of standard checked bags and of checked 

heavy bags, and to account on the CLR as a heavy bag any checked bag that meets the 

heavy bag criteria. 

12. SkyWest's W&B Manual, SP 4100, Part XII, Chapter 5, para. 12.A.2, Revision 05, requires 

the loading agent to ensure that the assigned weights recorded on the CLR accurately reflect 

what has been loaded on the aircraft. 

13. On August 31, 2009, at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado (Colorado Springs) 

SkyWest loaded passengers and checked bags onto Flight 4647 bound for Salt Lake City 

International Airport, Utah (Salt Lake City). 

14. SkyWest's personnel in Colorado Springs identified three heavy checked bags and marked 

the bags with heavy bag tags, but only accounted for two heavy bags on the CLR for Flight 

4647. 

15. SkyWest thereafter operated Flight 4647 to Sah Lake City on civil aircraft N452SW. 

16. Upon the arrival of Flight 4647 in Salt Lake City, an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) 

conducted an inspection. The ASI discovered SkyWest's failure to account for the third 

heavy bag on the CLR for Flight 4647. 

COMPLAINT 

FAA V. SkyWest Airlines 

2009NM060124 & 2010NM060020 

Page 3 of 7 

JEFFREY M. HARPER, FAA ATTORNEY 

TEL: 425.227.2161; FAX: 425.227.1007 
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17. On August 31,2009, at Salt Lake City, SkyWest loaded passengers and checked bags onto 

Flight 4768 bound for Spokane International Airport, Washington ("Spokane"). 

18. SkyWest's personnel in Salt Lake City identified two heavy checked bags and marked the 

bags with heavy bag tags, but did not account for the two heavy bags and one of the 

standard bags on the CLR for Flight 4768. 

19. SkyWest thereafter operated Flight 4768 to Spokane on civil aircraft N416SW. 

20. Upon the arrival of Flight 4768 in Spokane, an FAA ASI conducted an inspection. The 

ASI discovered that SkyWest failed to account for one standard bag and two heavy bags on 

the CLR for Flight 4768. 

21. On November 9, 2009, at Chicago O'Hare hitemational Airport ("Chicago"), SkyWest 

loaded passengers and checked bags onto Flight 5919 bound for Hector International 

Airport, Fargo, North Dakota (Fargo). 

22. SkyWest's personnel in Chicago identified a heavy checked bag and marked the bag with a 

heavy bag tag, but failed to account for the heavy bag on the CLR for Flight 5919. 

23. SkyWest thereafter operated Flight 5919 to Fargo on civil aircraft N943SW. 

24. Upon the arrival of Flight 5919 in Fargo, an FAA ASI conducted an inspection. The ASI 

discovered SkyWest's failure to account for the heavy bag on the CLR for Flight 5919. 

25. On November 9, 2009, at Salt Lake City, SkyWest loaded passengers and checked bags 

onto Flight 4449 bound for Fargo. 

26. SkyWest's personnel in Salt Lake City identified three heavy checked bags and marked the 

bags with heavy bag tags, but only accounted for two heavy bags on the CLR for Flight 

4449. 

27. SkyWest thereafter operated Flight 4449 to Fargo on civil aircraft N91OEV. 

28. Upon the arrival of Flight 4449 in Fargo, an FAA ASI conducted an inspection. The ASI 

discovered SkyWest's failure to account for the third heavy bag on the CLR for Flight 

4449. 

29. On November 19, 2009, in Salt Lake City, SkyWest loaded passengers and checked bags 

onto Flight 5858 bound for Denver International Airport, Colorado (Denver). 

30. SkyWest's personnel in Salt Lake City identified a heavy checked bag and marked the bag 

with a heavy bag tag, but failed to account for the heavy bag on the CLR for Flight 5858. 

31. SkyWest thereafter operated Flight 5858 to Denver on civil aircraft N782SK. 

COMPLAINT JEFFREY M. HARPER, FAA ATTORNEY 

FAA V. SkyWest Airlines TEL: 425.227.2161; FAX; 425.227.1007 

2009NM060124 & 2010NM060020 

Page 4 of 7 
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32. Upon the arrival of Flight 5858 in Denver, an FAA ASI conducted an inspection. The ASI 

discovered SkyWest's failure to account for the heavy bag on the CLR for Flight 5858. 

III. 

1. By reason of the foregoing circumstance(s), SkyWest violated the following provisions of 

the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR): 

a. Section 119.5(g), in that, as a direct air carrier, it operated in violation of an 

appropriate operations specification. 

b. Section 119.5(1), in that it operated an aircraft under Part 121 in violation of an 

appropriate operations specification. 

c. Section 121.693(a) and (c), in that it operated a flight without a load manifest that 

accurately reflected the weight of the baggage, and whose total weight was not 

computed under approved procedures. 

2. Under 49 U.S.C. §§ 46301 (a) and (d), SkyWest is liable for a civil penalty not to exceed 

not to exceed $25,000 for each of the violations noted. 

3. Under the facts and circumstances of this case, a civil penalty of $45,000 is appropriate. 

WHEREFORE, the Agency, by counsel, respectfully requests that the Administrative 

Law Judge enter an order that SkyWest be assessed a civil penalty in the amount of $45,000. 

Respectfully submitted this 24'^ day of January, 2011. 

^^.^ . 

,f^ffrey M. Harper 

FAA Attorney 

COMPLAINT 

FAA V. SkyWest Airlines 

2009NM060124 & 2010NM060020 

Page 5 of 7 

JH^FREY M. HARPER, FAA ATTORNEY 

TEL: 425.227.2161; FAX: 425.227.1007 
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ANSWER 

In accordance with Section 13.209 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, SkyWest, must answer 

this Complaint not later than 30 days from the time it is served on it. Failure to file an Answer 

within 30 days without good cause shall be deemed an admission of the truth of each allegation 

contained in the Complaint [14.C.F.R. 13.209(f)]. 

COMPLAINT 

FAA V. SkyWest Airlines 

2009NM060124 & 2010NM060020 

Page 6 of 7 

JEFFREY M. HARPER, FAA ATTORNEY 

TEL: 425.227.2161; FAX: 425.227.1007 
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

I hereby certify that the foregoing Complaint has been served via facsimile and certified mail 

Return Receipt Requested this date, to the following: 

Federal Aviation Administration 

800 Independence Avenue SW 

Washington, D.C. 20591 

Attn: Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 

Wilbur Wright Building - Suite 2W1000 

FAX: 202.493.5142 

Todd C. Emerson 

SkyWest Airlines 

444 S. River Road 

St. George, UT 84790 

FAX: 435.634.3505 

ith Dated this 24'" day of January, 2011. 

MOIFAIR CHIN 

Office of Regional Counsel (ANM-7) 

Federal Aviation Administration 

1601 Lind Ave. SW 

Renton, W A 98057 

425.227.2160 

COMPLAINT 

FAA V. SkyWest Airlines 

2009NM060124 & 2010NM060020 

Page 7 of 7 

JEFFREY M. HARPER, FAA ATTORNEY 

TEL: 425.227.1417; FAX: 425.227.1007 
^ i 

A I R L I N E S • 

Direct Dial: 435.634.3530 

Direct Fa.x: 435.634.3505 

e-mail: temersonM.skvwcst.cQm 

-T; ^ 

Januarys, 2011 

VL\ FEDERAL EXPRESS 

Federal Aviation Administration 

ATTN: Hearing Docket Clerk, AGC-430 

Wilbur Wright Building - Suite 2WIG00 

800 Independence Avenue SW 

Washington, DC 20591 

Re: Case No. 2009NM060124 and 2G10NM060020 

Dear Sir/Madam: 

The Final Notice of Proposed Civil Penalty in the above-referenced cases was 

received in our office on December 27, 2010. 

Pursuant to §13.16 (e) (2) (ii) of Federal Aviation Regulations, SkyWest Airlines 

hereby requests a hearing on this matter. 

Sincerely, --^ 

Todd C. Emerson 

Director - Government and Legal Affairs 

TCE/jb 

cc: Sean Howe 

4-f4 South River Road 

St. George. Utah 84790 

435.634.3000