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# m e noc?<^F'^ " In th e Matte r

o f DIAMON D AIRCHARTER , INC . FAA Docke t

No . 2010EA11000 S (Civi l Penalt

y Proceeding ) C P ( Q ^ (M y OL > 7 Th e Honorabl e Ronni e A . Yoder ^ 0 \0 ~ 0 ^'^ O Chie f Administrativ e Law Hearin g Location : Ne w York , N Y Hearin g dates : TB D ANSWE RT O SECON D AMENDE D COMPLAIN T AND AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S

I COME S NOW , Diamon dAir Charter , Inc. , b

y an dthroug h undersigne dcounsel , an dhereb y file s it s Answer

t o th e SECOND Amende dComplain t file do n Jul y 28,2010 , pursuan t t o Rul e 20 9 o f

th e Rule s olPractic c (1 4 CF.R . §13.209) . I n .<;uppor t thereof , Diamon dAir

Charter , Inc. , state s th e following : ANSWE R I I 1 . DIAMON D Al RCHARIER , INC . admit s th e allegaiion s containe di n paragrap h 1 o f th e Complaint . 2 . DIAMON D AI RCHARTER , INC . lack s knowledg e or informatio n sufficient

t o for mabelie f a s t o th e truth o r

falsit y o f th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 2 o f th e Complain t

an dtherefore , denie s sam e an ddemand s stric t proo f thereof.05/02/201 1 09:2 4 FA X 202493514 2 FA A * DM S gl002/00 S

?t . DIAMOND AI RCHARTER , INC . lack s knowledg e o r informatio n sufficient

t o for mabelie f a s t o th e trut

h or falsit y o f th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 3 o f th e Complain t

andtherefore , denie s same an ddemand s stric t proo f thereo f 4 . DIAMOND AI RCHARTER , INC . lack s knowledg e o r informatio n sulHcient

t o (br mabelie f a s t o th e trut

h or falsiiy o f th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 4 o f th e Complain t

andtherefore , denie s sam e an ddemand s stric t proo f thereof . 5 . DIAMOND AI

RCHARTER , INC . lack s knowledg e o r informatio n sufficicn i l o for mabelie f a s t o th e trut h or falsit y o f th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 5 o f th e Complain t

andtlierelbre , denie s same anddemand s stric t proo f thereoJ' . 6 . DIAMOND AI

RCHARTER , INC . denie s th e allegation s containe din paragrap h 6 o f th e Complaint . 7 . DIAMOND AIRCHARTER , INC . denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 7 o f th e Complaint . 8 . DIAMOND AI

RCHARTER , INC . denie s th e allegation s containe di n paragrap h 8 o f th e Complaint . Il l a . DIAMOND AI

RCHARTER , INC . denie s tha t i t violate d1 4 CF.R . §n9.5(k) . I V 1 . DIAMOND AI RCHARTER , INC . denie s tha t pursuan t t o 4 9 U.S.C . §46301(a)(l ) o r

4 9 U-S.C , §46301(a)(5) , i t i s liabl e fo

r acivi l penalty no t

t o excee d$11,00 0 fo

r each o f th e violation s alleged .05/02/201 1 09:2 4 FAX 202493514 2 FA A + DM S lg]003/00 £

2 . DIAMOND AI

RCIL\RTER , INC . denie s tJia t unde r th e fact s an dcircumstance s o f thi s case , acivi l penall y o f 51,10 0 i s appropriate . An y matte r no t specificall y admitte db y DIAMON D AI RCHARTER , INC . shal l b e deeme ddenied . AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S 1 . DIAMOND AI RCHARTER , INC . relie s upo n th e affirmativ e defens e o f reasonabl e rehance . 2 . In determinin g tli e civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dto conside r (1 ) th e natur e an dcircumstance s o f th e violation ; (2 ) th e exten t an dgravity o f

th e violation ; (3 ) th e respondent' s degre e o f culpability ; (4 ) th e respondent' s history o f prio r violations , if

any ; (5 ) th e respondent' s abilit y t o pa y th e civi l penalty ; (6 ) th e effect o n th e entity' s abilit

y t o sta y in business ; an d(7 ) other matter s a s justic e ma y require . Se e 4 9 U-S. C §4630 1 (e)(2) ; Se e als o FoIsom'sAi r Service . Inc. , FAA Order

No . 2008-1 1 (November

6,2008) , p . 11 . 3 . I n determinin g th e civi l penalt y amount , the Complainan t ha s faile dt

o determin e whethe r th e violatio n wa s inadverten t o r deliberate . 4 . In determinin g the civi l penalt y amount , th e Complainant ha s faile dt o conside r th e Respondent' s .size , particularl y i n determinin g th e allege doffender' s ability t o absoi b th e sanction . 5 . Th e propose dcivi l penalt y fail s t o reflec t

th e totalit y o f th e circumstance s surroundin g th e violations . Se e FoIsom'sAi r Service , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008

- 1 1 (November

6 , 2008) , p . 12 ; Easter n Ai r Center , Inc. , FAA Orde r

No . 2008- 3 (.lanuar y 28 , 2008) .05/02/201 1 09:2 4 FA X 202493514 2 FA A ^ DM S 0004/00 6

6 . DIAMON D AI

RCHARTER , IN C doe s no t hav e th e financial abilit

y t o pa y th e propose dcivi l penalty . 7 . Th e propose dcivi l penalt y woul dhav e adetrimental effec t o n th e ability o f DIAMON D AI RCHARTER , INC . t o continu e doin g business . 8 . Th e Federal Aviatio n Administration' s (FAA's ) interpretatio n o f it s Federal Aviatio n Regulation s i

n thi s cas e i s arbitrary , capricious , a n abus e o f

discretion , or otherwis e no t

in accordanc e wit

h law . Se e 5 U.S.C . § 706(2 ) (A) ; Watkin s v . NTSB , 17 8 F.3d959,96 1 (8th Cir . 1999) . 9 . Th e FAA' s interpretatio n o f it s aviatio n regulation s i s unconstitutionall y vague . Se c Thoma s v. Hinson , 7 4 F.3 d888 , 88 9 (8t h Cir . 1996) ; se e als o Tran s State s Airlines , Inc . v . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8t h Cir . 2006) ; Heat

h v . SEC\200 9 U.S . App . LEXI S 2412 8 a t 53-55 . 10 . Th e FAA' s applicatio n o f it s Federal Aviatio n Regulation s i n thi s cas e i s contrar y t o th e regulation' s plai n language . SecAdvant aUSA , Inc . v . Chao , 35 0 F,3 d726 , 72 8 (8t h Cir . 2003) , quotin g Gardebrin} ^ v . Jenkim , 48 5 U.S . 415 , 430 , 10 8 S . Ct . 1306 , 9 9 L . Ed . 2d51 5 (1988) . Se e als o Tran. f State s Airlines , Inc . v . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8t

h Cir . 2006) . 11 . DIAMOND AI RCHARTER , INC . assert s that th e Complainan t

ha. s faile dlo stat e A clai mupo n whic h th e relie f requeste dma

y b e granted . 12 . DIAMON D AI RCHARTER , INC . assert s that th e Complainan t

lack s substantial basi s i n la w an dfac t to continu e prosecutio n o f thi s matte r

agains t it .05/02/201 1 09:2 4 FAX 202493514 2 FA A + DM S g]005/00 B

Date dthi s 3'" ^ da

y o f Augus t 2010 .

^GOR Y K . WmrON , ESQ . Ih c AviatiopJ,,aw Fir

m On e Researc h Court , Suite 45 0 Rockville , MD 2085 0 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax;(301 ) 294-252 5 Greg@AviationLawExperts.co m Counse l for

Responden

t05/02/201 1 09:2 4 FA X 202493514 2 FA A DM S laOOG/OOG

CERTIFICAT E O F SERVIC E I hereb y certif

y that 1 hav e thi s dat e serve db y regula r U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , a n origina l an don e (1 ) cop y o f th e foregoin g Answe r

an dAffirmativ e Defense s addre.ssed to : Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk , AGC-43 0 Wilbu r Wright Building-Suit e 2W100 0 Federal Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S.W . Roo m924 A Washington , D.C . 2059 1 1 hereb y certif

y that I hav e thi s dat e sent

vi afacsimil e an dfirst

clas s mai l acop y o f

th e foregoin g Answer

andAffirmativ e Defense s addresse d Th e Honorabl e Ronni e A . Yoder , Chie f Administrativ e La

w .Judg e U . S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n Offic e o f Hearings , M-20 , Roo mE12-32 0 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave. , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 TEL : 20 2 366-214 2 FAX : 20 2 366-753 6 Zachar y M . Berman , Complainant' s Counse l Attorney , Offic e o f

th e Regiona

l Counsel , AEA- 7 FAA Eastern Regio n 1 Aviatio n Plaza , Roo m56 1 Jamaica , N Y 1143 4 TEL : 71 8 553-325 8 FAX : 71 8 533-569 9 ,R| } Date dthi s 3 da

y o f Augius t 201 0 Respeetfi i

GRE^^YXWINTON , ESQ . The^^aatio n Law Fir

m {.esearc h Court , Suit e 45 0 tockville , M D 2085 0 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax:(301)294-252 5 Greg@AviationLawExpeits.co m Counse l fo r

Responden t