U.S . DEPARTMEN T O FTRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC EO FHEARING S WASHINGTON , D.C . / (

/^• ' ' INTH EMATTERO F SCENI C AVIATION , INC . FA A Docke t

No . CP09NM001 1 (Civi l Penalty Action ) DMSNo . FAA-2009-097 4 Th e Honorabl e Richar dC . Goodwi nI S Administrativ e Law Judg e <^ ^ Hearin g Location : Sal t

Lake City , U T - ,/ ^

— 1 AMENDE D AFFIRMATIV EDEFENSE S £ 5 COME S NOW , Sceni c Aviation , Inc . (hereinafte r "SCENI C AVIATION") , b y an d throug hundersigne dcounse l an dhereb y Amend s it s Affirmativ e Defense s filedi nthi s matter . I n suppor t thereof. Sceni c Aviatio n state s th e following : AFFIRMATIV EDEFENSE S 1 . In determinin g th e civi l penalty amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o 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 , i f

any ; (5 ) th e respondent' s ability t o pay th e civi l penalty ; (6 ) th e effec t o nth e entity' s ability t o sta y in business ; an d(7 ) othe r matter s a s justic e may require . Se e 4 9 U.S.C . §46301(e)(2) ; Se e als o Folsom' s Ai r

Service , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008-1 1 (Novembe r 6 , 2008) , p . 11 .2 . In determinin g th e civi l penalty amount , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o determin e whethe r th e violatio n was inadverten t o r deliberate . 3 . Indeterminin g th e civi l penalty amotmt , th e Complainan t ha s faile dt o conside r

th e Respondent' s size , particularl y i ndeterminin g th e allege doffender' s ability t o absor b th e sanction . 4 . Th e propose dcivi l penalty fail s t o reflec t th e totality o f

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

Center , Inc. , FA A Orde r No . 2008- 3 (January 28,2008) . 5 . Sceni c Aviatio n doe s no t hav e th e financial ability t o pay th e propose dcivi l penalty . 6 . Th e propose dcivi l penalty woul dhav e adetrimenta l effec t o nth e ability o f

Sceni c Aviatio n t o continu e doin g business . 7 . Coun t II , allegatio n numbe r

9 o f th e Complain t

concern s allegation s o f

aninciden t

that occurre dmor e tha n 2 year s before th e agenc y attorne y issue daNotic e o f Propose dCivi l Penalty t o Sceni c Aviation , an dtherefore , shoul db e dismisse da s untimel y i naccordanc e with1 4 C.F.R. § 13.208(d) . 8 . Responden t

relie s upo nth e affirmativ e defens e o f reasonabl e reliance . 9 . Th e Federa l Aviatio n Administration' s (FAA's ) interpretatio no f it s Federa l Aviatio n Regulation s i n thi s cas e i s arbitrary , capricious , anabus e o f discretion , o r

otherwis e no t

in accordanc e withlaw . Se e 5 U.S.C . § 706(2 ) (A) ; Watkin s v. NTSB , 17 8 F.3 d959,96 1 (8th Cir . 1999) .10 . Th e FAA' s interpretatio n o f it s aviatio nregulation s i s unconstitutionall y vague . Se e Thoma s v . Hinson , lA F.3 d888 , 88 9 (8thCir . 1996) ; se e als o Tran s State s Airlines , Inc . v . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8thCir . 2006) ; Heat hv. SEC , 200 9 U.S . App . LEXI S 2412 8 a t *53-55 . 11 . Th e FAA' s applicatio n o f it s Federa l Aviatio nRegulation s i nthi s cas e i s contrary t o th e regulation' s plai n language . SeeAdvant aUSA , Inc . v . Chao , 35 0 F.3 d726 , 72 8 (8t hCir . 2003) , quotin g Gardebringv . Jenkins , 48 5 U.S . 415,430,10 8 S . Ct . 1306,9 9 L . Ed . 2 d51 5 (1988) . Se e als o Tran s State s Airlines , Inc . v . FAA , 43 9 F.3 d863 , 864-86 5 (8thCir . 2006) . 12 . Responden t

assert s tha t

th e Complainan t

ha s faile dt o stat e aclai mupo nwhic hth e relie f requeste dma y b e granted . 13 . Responden t

assert s that

th e Complainan t

lacks substantia l basi s inla w an dfac t t o continu e prosecutio n o f

thi s matte r

agains t it . Dated : Ma

y 28 , 201 0 RespectfiiUy^Submifted ,

CMGOR Y S . WINTON , ESQ . LviationLa w Experts , LL C 33 0 Aviatio nWa

y Frederick , M D 2170 1 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax:(301)294-252 5 Greg(a),AviationLawExperts.co m Counse l for

Responden tCERTIFICAT EO FSERVIC E

I hereb y certif

y tha t I hav e thi s dat e serve db y regular U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , anorigina l an d on e (1 ) cop y o f

th e foregoin g Amende dAffirmativ e Defense s addresse dto : Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk , AGC-43 0 Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S.W . Suit e 2W100 0 Washington , D.C . 2059 1 And , further , tha t

I hav e thi s dat e serve dvi afacsimil e an dregular U.S . mail , postag e prepaid , a cop y o f th e foregoin g Amende dAffirmativ e Defense s addresse dto : Th e Honorabl e Richar dC . Goodwi n Administrativ e La w Judg e Offic e o f Hearings , M-2 0 U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Eas t Buildin g Groun dFloor , Roo mEl2-32 0 Washington , D C 2059 0 Tel : 202-366-213 9 Fax : 202-366-753 6 Scott R . Morris , Esq . Offic e o f Regiona l Counsel , ANM- 7 FA A Northwes t

Mountai nRegio n 160 1 Lin dAvenue , S W Renton , W A 9805 7 Tel : 42 5 227-141 7 Fax:42 5 227-100 7 Dated : May 28 , 201 0 JREGORY S . WINTON , ESQ . Aviatio nLa w Experts , LL C 33 0 Aviatio nWay Frederick , M D 2170 1 Tel : (301 ) 294-855 0 Fax:(301)294-252 5