BEFOR ETH E FEDERA LAVIATIO NADMINISTRATIO N •^- '

OFFIC EO FHEARING S WASHINGTON , D.C . I NTH EMATTE RO F CONTINENTA LAIRLINES , INC . FA A Docke t No . CP10SW001 4 FA A Cas e No . 2009SW27003 7 DM S No . FAA-2010-098 1 "?^ ) Judg e Richar dC . Goodwin.~7 , " 1



# V 5g ^ ANSWE RO Fr o po o CONTINENTA LAIRLINES , INC . - £5 ^ 0 0 Pursuan t

t o Rul e 20 9 o f

th e Riile s o f

Practic e i nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s (1 4 C.F.R . Par t

13 , Subpar t

G) , Continenta l Airlines , Inc . ("Continental " o r "Respondent") , b y th e undersigned , files thi s Answe r t o th e Complain t

o f th e Federa l Aviatio nAdministratio n("FAA" ) i nth e above-captione dcas e tha t wa s serve db y certifie dmai l o nOctobe r 13 , 2010 , an dstate s a s follows

Admission s an dDenial s 1 . Th e procedura l histor y recite di nComplain t sectio nidentifie da s I i s ADMITTED . 2 . Th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s II 1 ar e ADMITTED . 3 . Th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 2 ar e ADMITTED . 4 . Th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 3 constitut e th e FAA' s characterizatio nof th e aircraft

maintenanc e lo g reference di ntha t paragraph .Answe r o f Continenta l Airlines , Inc . Pag e 2 whic hspeak s fo r

itsel f an dth e bes t

evidenc e o f

it s contents . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t knowledg e o r

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e remainin g allegation s i n Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 3 a t thi s tim e an dintend s t o conduc t discover y i n thi s matte r

i naccordanc e wit hth e Rule s o f Practic e i nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an d th e Procedxira l Order . 5 . Th e allegation s i nComplaint , paragrap hidentifie da s I I 4 quot e firomth e aircraft maintenanc e log , whic hspeak s fo r itsel f an di s th e bes t

evidenc e o f

it s contents . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

knowledg e o r

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e remainin g allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 4 a t thi s tim e an d intend s t o conduc t

discover y i nthi s matte r i naccordanc e wit hth e Rule s o f Practic e i n FA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order . 6 . Th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 5 quot e fro mth e aircraft maintenanc e log , whic hspeak s fo r itsel f an di s th e bes t

evidenc e o f

it s contents . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

knowledg e o r

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e remainin g allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 5 a t thi s tim e an d intend s t o conduc t

discover y i nthi s matte r i naccordanc e wit hth e Rule s o f Practic e i n FA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order . 7 . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

knowledg e o r

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 6 a t thi s tim e an dintend s t o conduc t

discover y i nthi s matte r i naccordanc e wit hth e Rule s o f Practic e i nFA A Civ U Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order .Answe r o f Continenta l Airlines , Inc . Page s 8 . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

knowledg e o r

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 7 a t thi s tim e an dintend s t o conduc t

discover y i nthi s matte r i naccordanc e wit hth e Rule s o f Practic e i nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order . 9 . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

knowledg e o r

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 8 a t thi s tim e an dintend s t o conduc t

discover y i nthi s matte r i naccordanc e wit hth e Rule s o f Practic e i nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Orde r 10 . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

knowledg e o r

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 9 a t thi s tim e a t

thi s tim e an dintend s t o conduc t

discover y i nthi s matte r i naccordanc e wit hth e Rule s of Practic e i nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order . 11 . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 0 a t thi s tim e an dintend s t o conduc t discover y i nthi s matte r i naccordanc e wit hth e Rule s o f Practic e i nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order . 12 . Continenta l ADMIT S th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s nil . 13 . Continenta l ADMIT S th e allegation s i nComplain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 12 . 14 . Continenta l DENIE S tha t i t violate dth e regulation s cite di nComplain t paragraph s identifie da s I I a , b , c , and/o r d . followin g paragrap hII12 , pendin gAnswe r o f Continenta l AirUnes , Inc . Pag e 4 discover y i nthi s matter . Answerin g further . Continenta l state s tha t th e regulation s cite di nthos e paragraph s spea k fo r themselve s an dar e th e bes t evidenc e o f

thei r contents . 15 . Continenta l ADMIT S tha t th e maximu mpenalt y pe r violatio nunde r

th e regulation(s ) cite di nparagrap hI I 1 o f th e Complain t

i s $25,000 , bu t

Continenta l DENIE S tha t

i t violate dth e regulation(s ) cite di nth e Complain t o r i s otherwis e subjec t t o acivi l penalt y i nthi s case , pendin g discover y i nthi s matter . 16 . Continenta l DENIE S an y allegatio ni nth e Complain t no t specificall y addresse di nthi s Answer . Affirmativ e Defense s 1 . Fo r it s first affirmativ e defense , Continenta l assert s tha t th e FA A ha s faile dt o stat e aclai mupo nwhic hrelie f ca nb e based . 2 . Fo r it s secon daffirmativ e defense . Continenta l assert s tha t th e propose d civi l penalt y i s excessive , no t appropriat e an dunwarrante dunde r th e circumstance s presented . Rehe f Requeste d Continenta l respectfull y request s tha t th e Complain t

b e dismisse dwit h prejudice . Plac e o f Hearin g Continenta l request s tha t th e hearin g i nthi s matte r b e hel di nHouston , Texas , whic hi s th e corporat e headquarter s fo r Responden t

an dth e plac e fro mwhic hmos t Continenta l witnesse s wil l Hkel y b e calle dt o testify .Answe r o f Continenta l AirUnes , Inc . Pag e 5 Duratio no f Hearin g Continenta l expect s a t

thi s tim e tha t

th e hearin g wil l las t

tw o days , bu t

ma y tak e substantiall y longe r dependin g o nth e witnesse s t o testif y an dth e evidenc e t o b e presented . Respectfull y submitted , 

### CONTOJENTAE;AI^NES , IN ^ By : / Thoma s Newto nBoilin g Managin g Attorney , RegulatoryltSiair s Novembe r

16 , 201 0 DCIWDMS : 1375I322.. 1Answe r o f Continenta l AirHnes , Inc . Pag e 6 CERTIFICAT EO FSERVIC E I certif y tha t o nthi s 16**

> da y o f Novembe r

2010, 1 cause datru e cop y o f th e foregoin g Answe r

t o b e served ' b y U.S . certifie dmai l (origina l an don e copy) , retur nreceip t requested , to : Federa l Aviatio nAdministratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S.W . Washington , D C 2059 1 Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk , AGC-43 0 Wilbu r Wrigh t Buildin g - Suit e 2W100 0

an db y U.S . certifie dmai l (on e copy) , retur nreceip t requested , to : Ti mDuff , Complainant' s Counse l Attorney , Offic e of

Regiona l Counsel , ASW- 7 Southwes t

Regio n Federa l Aviatio nAdministratio n 260 1 Meacha mBoulevar d For t Worth , TX 76193-000 7 Th e Honorabl e Richar dC . Goodwin , Administrativ e La w Judg e U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n Offic e o f Hearings , M-2 0 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Eas t Building , Groun dFloor , Roo mE12-32 0 Washington , D C 2059 0

Judit hA . Dabne y ^