BEFOR ETH E FEDERA LAVIATIO NADMINISTRATIO N

OFFIC EO FHEARING S WASHINGTON , D.C . I NTH EMATTE RO F CONTINENTA LAIRLINES , INC . \- n —fc n o o FA A Docke t

No . CP10S^01&:>g:± i O l FA A Cas e No . 2OO9SW27OO60ii^r n DM S No . FAA-2010-1075 ^ i?^ ^ Judg e Richar dC . Good\«!ihQ^^ ^ O D ANSWE RO F CONTINENTA LAIRLINES , INC . Pursuan t

t o Rul e 20 9 o f

th e Rule 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 AirHnes , 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 n Administratio n("FAA" ) i nth e above-captione dcas e tha t wa s serve db y certifie dmai l o n Octobe r 21 , 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 n Complain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 ar e ADMITTED . 3 . Th e allegation s i n Complain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 2 quot e fro ma n aircraft maintenanc e log , whic hspeak s fo r itsel f an di s th e bes t

evidenc e o f

it sAnswe r o f Continenta l Airlines , Inc . Pag e 2 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 o f Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 2 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 n FA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order . 4 . Th e allegation s i n Complain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 3 constitut e th e FAA' s characterizatio n o f th e aircraft

maintenanc e lo g reference di ntha t paragraph , 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

svifficien 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 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 nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order . 5 . 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 n Complain 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 nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order . 6 . Th e allegation s i n Complain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 5 constitut e th e FAA' s characterizatio n of , an dquot e from , aWor k Card , whic hspeak s fo r itsel f an d i s th e bes t

evidenc e o f

it s contents . 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 n Complain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 6 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 nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order .Answe r o f Continenta l AirHnes , Inc . Pag e 3 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 n Complain t paragrap hidentifie da s I I 7 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 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 o f Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 8 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 nFA A Civi l Penalt y Action s an dth e Procedura l Order . 10 . Th e allegation s o f

Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 9 constitut e th e FAA' s characterizatio n o f a n ME Lan dME Ldeferral , whic hspea k fo r themselve s an dar e th e bes t

evidenc e o f

thei r contents . 11 . Continenta l ha s insufficien t knowledg e o r

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s i n Complain 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 n thi 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 . 12 . Th e allegation s of

Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 1 constitut e th e FAA' s characterizatio n o f Continental' s operation s specifications , whic hspea k fo r themselve s an dar e th e bes t evidenc e of

thei r contents . 13 . Th e allegation s o f

Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 2 constitut e th e FAA' s characterizatio n o f Continental' s Genera l Maintenanc e Manua l an dCAMP , whic hspea k

fo r themselve s an dar e th e bes t evidenc e o f

thei r contents .Answe r o f Continenta l Airlines , Inc . Pag e 4 14 . Th e allegation s o f Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 3 constitut e th e FAA' s characterizatio n o f Continental' s maintenanc e progra man doperation s specifications , whic hspea k fo r themselve s an dar e th e bes t evidenc e o f

thei r contents . 15 . Th e allegation s o f

Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 4 constitut e th e FAA' s characterizatio n o f Continental' s maintenanc e progra man doperation s specifications , whic hspea k fo r themselve s an dar e th e bes t evidenc e o f

thei r contents . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s o f

Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 4 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 dth e Procedura l Order . 16 . Th e allegation s o f

Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 5 constitut e th e FAA' s characterizatio n o f Continental' s maintenanc e progra man doperation s specifications , whic hspea k fo r themselve s an dar e th e bes t evidenc e o f

thei r contents . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s o f

Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s II1 5 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 dth e Procedura l Order . 17 . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s o f

Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 6 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 dth e Procedura l Order .Answe r o f Continenta l Airlines , Inc . Pag e 5 18 . Continenta l i s withou t sufficien t

informatio nt o admi t

o r den y th e allegation s o f

Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 1 7 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 dth e Procedura l Order . 19 . Continenta l DENIE S tha t i t violate dth e regulation s i nparagraph s a.-c . followin g Complain t

paragrap hidentifie da s I I 16 , pendin g 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 . 20 . Continenta l ADMIT S tha t th e maximu mpenalt y pe r violatio nunde r

th e regulation(s ) cite di n paragrap hII I 1 o f th e Complain t

i s $25,00 0 and , pendin g discover y i n thi s matter . Continenta l DENIE S tha t i t violate dth e regulation(s ) cite di n th e Complain t

o r i s otherwis e subjec t

t o acivi l penalt y i nthi s case . 21 . Continenta l DENIE S an y allegatio ni nth e Complain t no t specificall y addresse di n thi 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 n whic 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 .Answe r o f Continenta l Airlines , Inc . Pag e 6 Relie f Requeste d Continenta l respectfull y request s tha t th e Complain t

b e dismisse dwit h prejudice . Plac e of 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 fi-om whic hmos t

Continenta l witnesse s wil l likel y b e calle dt o testify .

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 , C0NTINEN5^^r:AmijkES , IN C 

## By: [ y Thoma s Newto nBolhn g Managin g Attorney , Regulator y Affair s Novembe r

23 , 201 0 DCIWDMS : 13752842. 1