a 08/13/2012 05:49 

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U.S. Department 

Of Transportation 

Federal Aviation 

Admi:o.is tration 

4252271007 

Office of Regional Counsel 

August.l3, 2012 

ANM7 

Northwest Mountain Region 

Colorado, Idaho. Montana, 

Orego.n; Utah, Washington, 

Wyoming · 

1601 Lind Avenue S.W. 

Ren1on, Washington 98057 

Tel: (425) 227-2161 

Fax: (425) 227-1007 

JEFFREY.HA.Rl>E:R@FAA.GOV 

VJA FACSIMILE AND CERTIFIED MAIL~ RETIJRN RECEJJ>T REQUESTED 

At1n: Hearing Docket Clerk. AGC-430 

Hearing Docket 

Federal Aviation Administration 

(Wilbur Wright Bldg-- Room 2Wl 000) 

800 Independence Avenue S.W. 

C ...• 

,, 

PAGE 02/Clo 

Washington, D.C. 20591 FDtnS ~01&- 6 8' 7 3 I:::"Af\ Cl..Oitl- AlDft--e;pp- I a ogg 

Re: In the Matter of Sky West Airlines, FAA Case No. 2011NM060063 

Enclosed is an ori.ginal and one copy of a request for hearing and Complaint in the abovereferenc·eq, proceeding. . 

The Federal Aviation Adrnin1stration (FAA) requests that the hearing in this matter be held in 

Salt Lake City, Utah, and expects that the hearing will last one (1) day. 

Fer scheduling purposes, FAA Attorney, Jeffrey 1-:lar.per. will be unavailable due to military duty on 

October 12-15, "N"ovember 2-5, and :November 31-Decewber 3, 2012. 

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, . 

ii!/V 

FAA Attorney ' 

JMH/ds 

Enclosures: Request for Hearing (Appeal) 

Complaint 
08/13/2012 05:49 4252271007 ------------------- ANM7 PAGE ~31eta 

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JEFFREY HARPER 

F M OFPlCE OF REGIONAL COUNSEl,. 

1601. LIN:OAVE., SW 

RENTON, WASHINGTON 98057 

J:EJ .. EPHONE: ( 425) 22 7-2161 

: FACSIMILE: (425) 227-1007 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

OFFICE OF HEARINGS 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

In the Matter of: . 

Sky West Airlines 

JUDGE NOT ASSIGNED: 

FAA Case No. 20 11NM060063 

Judge Not Assigned 

COMPLAINT 

The Federal Aviation Admioistraticm (FAA), by counsel~ hereby files its C~mplaint, 

pursuant to Rule 208 of the Rules of Practice (14 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) 

. . 

Section 13.208), and states as follows: 

I. 

On July 26~ 201.2, SkyWest Airlines, Inc.,·was advised through a Final Notice of 

P~oposed Civil Penalty that the FAA pmposed to assess a civil penalty in the amount of 

$40,000. On August 8, 2012, Sky West Airlines, Inc., through legal counsel, submitted a 

written request for a hearing. 

CO:MPLAINT 

F M v. Sky West Airlines, Inc. 

FAA Case No. 2011 NM060063 

Page2of7 

II. 

JEFFREYM, HARPER, FAAATTORNEY 

TEL: 425.227.1417; FAX: 425.227.1007 
138/13/2012 05:49 42522711307 ------------------ ANM7 PAGE 

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Sky West Airlines (Sky West), is :o.ow and was at all times material herein the holder of 

Scheduled Air Carrier Cex:ctficate No. SWIAOllA, and conducts its operations , 

pursuant to Part t21 ofthe Federal Aviation Regulatio~s (FAR). 

Paragraph D085 of SkyWest's Operations Specificatio:o.s (OpSpecs) authorizes · 

Sky West to use N7 55 SK, a. Bombardier CL~600-2C 10 civil aircraft, in the conduct of 

SkyWest's Pan 121 operations~ 

Paragr8:ph A098 ofSkyWest's OpSpecs requires that aircraft loading for Bombardier 

CL-600~2C10 aircraft be accomplished in ac~?ordance ·with Sky West's Weight & 

Balance Operations Manual, SP4100, (W&B Manual), "Part XII, revision. Ori.g of 1 

APR 10." 

SkyWest's W&B Manual. contains the loading schedules and instructions for 

SkyWest's Bombardier CL-600-2C10 aircra:fi. 

SkyWest's W~B Manual, Chapter 2, par.agr.aph. 2.A.58 defmes "Standard Checked 

Bag" as a "checked bag weighing 50 lb or less." · 

SkyWest>s W&B Manual, ·chapter 2,.paragraph 2.A.24 defines ('HeaVy Checked 

Bags'~ as "[a]ny bag that weighs more ti;tan 50 lb but less than 100 lb.'> . ' 

Sk:yWcst's W&B Manual (Temporary Revi.sion dated 14 FEB 11), Chapter 3, · 

paragraph 2.D. ~. states the ''designated CD Ground Opetations loading agent 

evahtates the classification of all checked baggage (either standard or heavy). The . 

desi.gnated loading agent must mark the number of standard and heavy checked 

bagga.ge on the CLR." 

SkyWest's W&B Man:ual (Temporary Reyision dated 14 FEB 11), Chapter 3, 

paragraph 2.1.2 states that "[u]pon completion ofloading the cargo bin/pit, the 

designated loading agent must verify the piece count of all Standard Checked, Heavy 

Checked, an.d Planeside Loaded/Service Item Baggage ... ,; 

SkyWesfs W&B Manual (Temporary Revisio11 dated 14 FEB 11), Chapter 3, 

paragraph 3.B.2. states the flight deck crewmeru.ber use~ the infonnation·frorn the 

CLR to constn1ct the ACARS Joad manifest 

10. Sky West's W &B Manual, Chapter 4, paragraph 8.8~ requires the loading agent to 

write the total number of standard checked bMgage loaded in each cargo bin/pit in the 

appropriate "Standard Checked" :b.lock on the CLR. 

11. Sky West's W&B Manual, Chapter 4, paragraph 8.10, reqUires the loading agent to 

write t):te total number ofPlaneside Valet/Service Items loaded i11·each cargo bin/pit in 

the appropriate "Planeside Valet/Service Items'' block on t':1e CLR. 

COMPLAINT . FAA. v. ·skyWest A1r\ines>l.nc. 

FAA Case No. 2011NM060063 

Page 3 of7 

JEPFRE.Y'M. HA.'R.l'ER, FAA ATTORNEY 

. TEL: 425.227.1417; FAX: 425.227.1007 
08/13/2012 06:49 4252271007 ANM7 

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' . SkyWest's W&B Manual, Chapter 4, paragraph 11 -Aircraft Loading, contains the 

warning: 

~ '\fVAR.NING.-INACCURATE LOADING, 

REPORTING, OR FAILURE TO REPORT 

INFORMATION COULD CAUSE ISSUES WITH 

AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE AND HANOI...ING1 

RESULTING IN THE ENDANGERMENT OF HUMAN 

LIFE. 

III. . 

On April 7, 2011, at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago, Illinois, 

Sky West loaded. passengers and baggage onto N755SK, to be operated as Flight 6'756 

bound for City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS), Colorado Spri.ngs, 

Colorado. 

Sky West's personnel at ORD loaded 33 standard checked bags and 2 heavy checked 

bags onto N755SK. 

The CLR for Flight 6756lists 30 standard checked bags and 0 heavy checked 15ags on 

board N755SK. 

. The i~accurate data on the CLR was used to construct the A CARS load manifest for 

Flight 6756. . . 

Sky West ~hereafter operated N755SK as FUg~.t 6756 to· COS .. 

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35 18. Sky West has paid civil penalties in eight previous cases invoJving loading of cargo 

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By reason of the foregoing facts and circwnstan.ces, Sky West violated the following sections 

of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 C.F.R:): 

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

appr?prlate operations specification. 

b. Section 119.5(1)~ in that it ope.rated ai.rcra:ft under PaD: 121 in violati.on of its 

operations specifications. 

·COMPLAINT 

FAA v. Sky West Airlines, lnc. 

FAA Case No. 2011NM060063 

Page 4 of7' 

' JEFFREY M. HARPER, F A.A ATTORNEY 

TEL: 425.227.1417; FAX: 425.227.1007 
08/13/2012 05:49 4252271007 ANM7 

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c. Section 121.693(a), in that it operated fli.gh~s v..i.thout a load manifest that 

accurately reflected the weight of 1he cargo and baggage. · 

d. Section 121.693(c), in that it operated :flights when the total weight of the aircraft 

was not computed under approved procedures. 

e. Section 121.693( d), in that it operated flights when the aircraft was not loaded 

according to an approved schedule. 

11 2. In accordance with Sections 46301(a) and (d) of Title 49 of the United States Code 

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(U.S.C.) (Transportation) [49 U.S.C. Sections 4630I(a) and (d)], SkyWest is liable for' a civil 

penalty not to exceed $27,500 for each of the violations noted. 

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19 Under the facts and circumstances of this case, a civil penalty of $40,000 is 

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appropriate. 

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

Law Judge enter an. order that Sky West be assessed. a civil penalty in the amount of $40,000. 

. . 

Respectfully submitted this 13th day of August, 2012. 

J.~arper iifi~ . · FAAAttomey 

' ' 

PAGE 05/08, , 

COMPLAINT 

FAA v. Sky West Airlines, Inc. 

FAA Case No. 201.JNM060063 

Page 5 of7 

JEFFREY M. HARPER, FAA ATTORNEY 

TEL: 425.22.7.1417; FAX: 425.227.1007 

", 

'\,; 
08/13/2012 06:49 4252271007 ANM7 

1 ~S~R 

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3 In accordance with Section 13.209 ofthe Federal Aviation Regulations, SkyWest Airlines! 

4 Inc., must answer this Complaint not later than thirty (30) days from the time it is served on 

s it Failure to file an Answer within thirty (30) days without good cause shall be deemed an 

6 admission of the truth of each allegation contained in the Complaint [14.C.F .R. Section. 

7 13.209(f)]. 

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PAGE 07/08 

COMPLAINT 

FAA v. Sk:yWest Airlines, lnc. 

FAA Case No. 2011NM060063 

Page 6 of7 

JEFFREY M. HARPER, FAA ATTORNEY 

TEL: 42.5.227.1417;-FAX: 425.227.1.007 
08/13/2012 05:49 4252271007 ANM7 PAGE 08/08 

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE . 

I hereby certify that the foregoing Complaint has been served vfa facsimile and certified mail - Return Receipt Requested this· date, to the following: . 

Federal Aviation Administration. (Origi.n.al and one copy) 

Attn: Hearing Docket Clerk~ AGC-430 

Wilbur Wright BuUdl.J;~,g "-" Suite 2Wl 000 

800 Ind~pendence Avenue SW 

Washington, D.C. 20591 

Fax: (202) 493-5142 

Todd Emerson, Esq. 

Sky West Airlines 

444 S. River Road 

St. George, UT 84 790 

TEL: (435) 634-3530 

FAX: (435) 634-3505 

Dated this 13th d~y.of August, 2012. 

COMPLAINT 

FAA v. Sky West Airlines, Inc. 

FAA Case No. 2011NM060063' 

Page 7 of7 · 

15ana Stephenson . 

Office of Regional Counsel (ANM~7) 

Federal Aviation Administration 

1601 Lind Ave. SW 

Renton, W A '98057 

(425) 227-2164 

JEFFREY M. HARPER, FAA ATTORNEY 

TEL: 425.227.1417; FAX: 425.227.1.007