10/21/201 1 11:3 8 FA X 2024935U 2 FA ^ • n.. ^

U.S . DEPARTVfHN

T O FTRANSPORTATIO N ' *r , ..: . OFFICE O FHEARING S WASHINGTON . D. C • ' ^ .'•.'.-••j i

ns ' T f I E MATTE

RO F FL£E T AVIATION , LL C Respondent FA A DOCKE

T NO . 2010EA11002 ' (Civi l Pena[t> ' Proceeding ) DMSNO . FAA

- ^( ) '' " '^ ' / ADMTKTSTRATIV

E LA W JUDG E NO T YE T ASSIGNE

D Hcann g Date : NO T YE

T ASSIGNED r?^^f ^ Hearin g Location : NOl " YE T ASIGNED X ) iS^^i ^ 

# ^' 

# Bp. ^ RESPONPKNT^ S ANSWE RAN D AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S ^ 1 COME S NOW , FLEE

T AVIATION , LLC , b

y an dthroug h undersigne dcounsel , pursuant T O Rul e 20 9 oflh e Rule s o f Practic e (1 4 C.F.R . §13.209) , an dhereb y files th e ibliowin g Answe r andAtTirmative Defense s t o the Complainant' ^ Compliant date dSeptember

23 , 20 ] I . 1 1 1 . FLEE

T AVIATION . LL C admit s the allegation s containe di n paragrap h numbe

r I o f the Complaint . 2 . FLEET AVIATION , LLC admit s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h numbe

r 2 of the Complaini . 3 . FLEET AVIATION , LL C denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h numbe

r 3 o f th e Complaini ._10/2VJ0nn ^ FA X 202^9351. 2 FA A ,OH S „,„,„„ ,

4 . FLEET AVIATION , LL C denie s ihc allegation s containe di n paragrap h numbe

r 4 of th e Complaint . 5 . FLEET AVIATION , LLC denie s the allegation s coniaine di n paragrap h number

5 of th e Complaini , 6 . FLEE

T AVIATION , LLC denie s the allegation s containe di n paragrap h numbe r 6 of the Complaint . 7 . FLEE l AVIATION . LL C denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h number

7 o f th e Complaint . Il l a . FLEE T AVIATION , LL

C denie s tha

t i t violate d1 4 C.F.R . §135.323(a)(1) . b . FLEE T AVIATION , LLC denie s tha t i t violate d1 4 C.F.R . §135.33l(c) . I V 1 . FLEE T AVIATION . LLC denie s tha t pursuant to 4 9 U.S.C . §4630 1 (a)(1 ) i t i s liabl e fo

r a civi l penalt

y not l o excee d525,00 0 fo

r each o f the violation s alleged , or , tha t pursuant t o 4 9 U.S.C . §4630 1 (a)(5) , i

t i s liabl e fo

r acivil penall y no t

t o excee dSlLOO

O fo r eac h o f the violation s alleged . 2 . FLEET AVIATION , LLC denie s tha t unde r th e fact s an

dcircumstance s o f

thi s case , acivi l penalt y o f S50,000.0 0 i s appropriate . An y matter not specifically admitte db

y FLEET AVIATION , LL C shall be deeme ddenied .10/21/201 1 11.3 8 FA X 2024935li 2 FA A- DW S 01003/00 6

AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S 1 . FLEE T AVIATION , LL C relie s upo n th e affinnativ e defens e o f reasonabl e reliance . 2 . I n determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , ih e Complainan t ha s faile dt o conside r

(I ) th e natur e an dcircumstance s o f th e violation ; (2 ) th e exten t an dgravit y o f

th e violation ; (3 ) th e respondent' s degre e o f

culpability ; (4 ) th e respondent' s histor y o f prio r violations , i f

any : (5 ) th e respondent' s abilit y t o pay th e civi l penalty ; (6 ) th e effec t o n th e entity' s abilit y t o stay i n business ; an d(7 ) othe r maner s a s justic e ma y require . Se e 4 9 U.S.C . §46301(c)(2) ; Se e als o Folsom' aAi r

Service , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe r 6 , 200K) , p . 11 . 3 . I n determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o determin e whether , th e violatio n wa s inadverten t o r deliberate . 4 . I n determinin g th e civi l pcnalt> ' amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o conside r

th e Respondent' s size , particularl y i n determinin g th e allege doffender' s abilit y t o absor b th e sanction . 5 . Th e propose dcivi l penalty ' fail s t o reflec t th e totalit y o f

th e circumstance s surroundin g th e violations . Se e Fohnm'. s Ai r Service , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe r 6 . 2008) , p . 12 ; Easter n Ai r

Cenftr . Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008- 3 (Januar y 28 . 2008) . 6 . Findin g multipl e violation s fo r th e sam e offens e woul dconstitut e '"pilin g on ' fthal ] shoul d b e avoide dexcep t

unde r th e mos t egregiou s circumstances. " I n (h e Matte r ofCarr. , FA A Orde r No . 1998- 2 a

t 11-1 2 (Marc h 12 , 1998) . 7 . FLEE T AVIATION , LL C doe s no t hav e th e financial abilit y t o pa y th e propose dcivi l penalty .10/21/201 1 11.3 8 FAX 2024935M 2 FA. ^ -0« S ©004/00 6

8 . The propose dcivil penalt y wouldhav e adetrimenta l elTec i o n the abilit

y o f FLEET AVIATION , LL

C to continu e doin g business . 9 . Th e Federa l Aviatio n Administration' s (FAA's ) interpretatio n of it s Federa l Aviatio n Regulation s i

n thi s cas e i s arbitrary , capricious , a n abus e of discretion , or

otherwis e no t

i n accordanc e wit

h law . Se e 5 U.S.C . § 706(2 ) (A) ; Uaikin s v. NTSB , 17 8 F.3 d959 . 96 1 (8t h Cir . 1999) . 10 . Th e FAA' S interpretatio n of it s aviatio n regulation s i s unconstimtionall y vague . Se e Thoma s v . Hinson , 7 4 F.3 d888 , 88 9 (8t h Cir . 1996) ; see als o Tran s Stale s Airlines . Inc . r . FAA , 43 9 l-.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8t h Cir . 2006) ; Neat

h v . SEC , 200 9 U.S . App . LEXT S 2412 8 a t 53-55 . 11 . The FAA' s applicatio n o f it s Federa l Aviatio n Regulation s i

n thi s cas e i s contrar

y to the regulation' s plai n language . SztAdvant aUSA . Inc . v . Chav , 35 0 F.3 d726 , 72 8 (8t h Cir . 2003),quotin g Gardehrinj^v . Jenkins,48 5 U.S . 415 , 430,10 8 S . Ct . 1306.99L . Ed . 2 d51 5 (1988) . Se c als o Tran s Slate s Airiines , Inc . v . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8t h Cir . 2006) . 1 2 FLEE T AVIATION . LL

C assen^ j tha t th e Complainant

ha s faile dto .stat

e aclai mupo n which the relie f

requeste dma

y b e granted . 13 . FLEET AVIATION . LL C assert s tha

t th e Complainant

lack. s substantia

l basi s i n law an d fac t t o continu e prosecutio n o f

ihii ; matte r agains t it .10/21/201 1 11:3 8 FA X 202d935K 2 FA A

- QM S I2 | 005/00 6

Dated : October? . 201 1 Respcct l

GREGORrS . WINTON , ESQ . ITi e A<qatio n La w Fir m OneAescarc h Court , Suite 45 0 Ro/k\'iile , Ivf

D 2085 0 T/1 : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fix : (301 ) 294-252 5 Greg@Aviationr.awExperts.co m Counse l fo

r Responden

t10/21/201 1 1 1 3 8 FA X 202493514 2 FA A

- OM S igooe/oo s

CERTIFICATE O

FSERVIC E 1 hereb y certil ^ thai I hav e thi s dal e serve db y regula r U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , a n origina l an d on e (1 ) cop y o f

the foregoin g Answer

an dAffinnativ e Defen.se s addresse dlo : Attention : Hearin g Docket Clerk , .AGC-43 0 Wilbur Wrigh t Buildin g Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n 800 Independenc e Avenue . S.W . Roo m201 4 Washington , D.C . 2059 1 I hereb y certif

y tha t 1 hav e thi s dat

e sen t vi afacsimil e andfirst

clas s mail acop y o f

th e foregoin g Answer andAffirmativ e Defense s addresse dto : Zachar y M . Berman , Esq . FA A Easter n Region , AEA- 7 1 Aviatio n Plaza . Roo

m56 1 Jamaica-N Y 1143 4 Tel : 71 8 553-325 8 Fax:71 8 533-569 9 Dated : October

7 , 201 1 Respectfully »R&> ^ WINTON . ESQ . iarion La w Fir m ;earch Coun , Suit

e 45 0 Rockville , M

D 2085 0 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax:(301)294-252 5 Greg@AviationLawExperts.co m Counse l fo r

Respondent