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LiMTE U STATK S O FAMFRIC A DEPARTMEN T O FTRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O FHEARING S WASHINC;ION , D.C . [ n the Matter

of : SkyVVcs i Airlines . Inc . FA A DOCKE T CP : Uiiassignc d FA A Cas e No . 201INM06001 0 Judi'e ; Unassimic d

JUDG E NO T ASSIGNED :

ANSWE RAND AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S Sk y West Airlines . Inc . ("•SkyVVest") , b y it s counsel , hereb y file s it s Answer , pursuan t to Rul e 20 9 of

ihe Rule s of

Practic e (1 4 C.F.R . 13.209) . andstate s a s follows :

I . SkyVVes l admit s tha

t i t wa s advise dthroug haFina l Notic e of

Propose dCivi l Penalt

y tha t the FA A propose dt

o asses s acivi l penalt

y i n the amount

of $33,000 . an

dtha t SkyWes t submitte d awritten ret]iics t

lor ahearin g on Jun e 1 . 20 1 1 .X

II . h) ve>pons c l o Paragrap h1 . SkyWes t admit s that

i t i s no w an da

t al l time s materia l hereto , th e holde r

o f Schedule dAi r

Carrie r Certificat e No . SWIAO I 1 A , an dconduct s it s operation s pe r

FA RPart

121 . 2 . I n respons e t o Paragrap h2 . SkyWes t admit s that

Paragrap hD()8 5 o f

SkyWest" s OpSpec s authorize s SkyWes t

t o us e N702SK . aBombardie r CL-600'2CI 0 civi l aircraft , i n ih e ct>ndiic t o f SkyWest' s Part

12 1 operations . 3 . I n respons e l o Paragrap h3 , SkyWes t admit s tha i Paragrap hA09 8 of SkyWcsi' s OpSpec s require s tha t

aircraf t loadin g for

Bombardie r

CL-600-2C1 0 aircraf

t b e aceotiiplishe di n accordanc e wit hSkyWest' s Weigh t & Balanc e Operation s Manual . SP4I00 , Par t XII , revisio n Oh g o f

I AP R10(W& B Manual ) 4 . I n respons e t o Paragrap h4 . SkyWes t admit s tha t

Sk y West' s WA B Manua l contain s th e loadin g schedule s an dinstruction s fo r SkyWest' s Bombardie r CL-6()0-2 C 1 0 aircraft . 5 . I n respons e t o Paragrap h5 . SkyWes t admit s tha t

SkyWest' s W& B Manual . Chapte r 2 . paragr a) h2.A.2 4 define s "Heav y Checke dBags' * a s an y ba g weighin g mor e tha n 5 0 pounds , but

les s tha n 10 0 pounds . 6 . I n respons e t o Paragrap h6 . SkyWes t admit s tha i SkyWest' s W^^ B Manual . SP4I()0 . Par t XII . Cluipie r

3 . paragrap h2.D. I ret|uire s th e loadin g agen t t o mark th e numbe r

o f standar d an dheav y bag s o n ih e Carg o Loa dRepor t (CLR) .7 . I

n respons e t o Paragrap h7 . SkyWes t admit s tha t

SkyWest' s WJt B Manual . S P 4100 , Part XII . Chapte r

3 . paragrap h2.1. 2 retiuire s th e loadin g agen t t o verif y th e piec e coun t

o f al l Standar dCliecked . Heav y Cliecked . an dplanesid c loaded/Servic e lle mBaggag e upo n completio n o f

loatling . 8 . I n respons e t o Paragrap hS , SkyWcs i admit s tha t SkyWest' s W& B Manual . SP4i00 , Part XII . Chapte r

4 . paragrap h8. 9 require s th e loadin g agen t t o writ e th e tota l numbe r o f heav y checke dbaggag e loade di n eac hcarg o bi n o n th e CL Ri n th e "Heav y Checked " block . 9 . I n respons e l o Paragrap h9 . SkyWes t admii s tha i SkyWest' s W& B Manua LChapte r 4 , paragrap h1 I - Aircraf t Loading , contain s th e warning ; 

# A WARNIN G - INACCURAT E LOADING , .=?EPORTiNG . O R FAILUR E T O REPOR T IN.=ORMATIO N COUL D CAUS E ISSUE S WIT H AI.=IC.RAF T PERFORMANC E AN D HANDLING , RESULTIN G I N TH E ENDANGERMEN T O F HUMA N LIFE . 10 . I n respons e t o Paragrap h10 , SkyWes t admit s tha t

o n Novembe r

17 . 2010 , a

t Denve r Internallona l Airpor t

(DEN) . Dettver . Colorado . SkyWes t loade dpassenger s an dbaggag e ont o N702SK . t o b e operate da s Fligh t 657 3 boun dfo r

Yamp aValle y Airpor t

(HDN) . Hayde n Colorado . 1 1 . I n respons e t o Paragrap hI LSkyWes t admit s that

SkyWest' s personne l a t DE N loade d thre e (3 ) heav y checke dbags , marke dwit haheav y ba g tag . ont o th e aircraft , bu t di dno t accoun t fo r tw o (2 ) o f

the mo n th e CL Rfo r

Fiiiih t 6573 .12 . I

n respons e t o Paragrap h12 , SkyWes t admit s that

SkyWes t

thereafte r

operate dN702S K

a s Flii:ht657 3 t o HDN . 3 . I n respons e t o whic ht o for

m Paragrap h13 . SkyWes t i s withou t

sulficien i informatio n o r knowledg e fron\ abelie f a s t o th e trutho f

th e allegatio n an dtlierefor e denie s th e same . HI . SkyWes t generall y denie s al l remainin g ailegatioti. s se t fori hi n th e Complaint . AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S 1 . Th e propose dpenalt y i s excessiv e an dviolate s FA A policy . 2 . SkyWes t

ma y hav e othe r

affirmativ e defense s no t cuirentl y know n bu t

whic hma y becom e know n throug hdiscovery . SkyWes t reserve s th e righ t

t o alleg e suc h affirmativ e defense s a s the y becom e known . DATE D thi s LV''da y o f July . 2011 .



# . V



# ^ C Tod dC . Emerso n Arronie y fo r

SkxWe.sf Airline sCERIIFIC A I E O FSERVIC E

Th e iiiidersigne dhereb y certifie s tha t o n thi s 15' ^ tlay o f

July . 2011 . atru e an dcorrec t cop y of th e foregoin g ANSWE RAN D AFFIRMATIV E DEFENSE S wa s serve da s follows : Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n SO O Intlependenc c Avenu e S W Washington , D C 2059 1 Attn : Hearin g Docke t

Clerk . AGC-43 0 Wilbu r Wrigh t Buildin g - Suit e 2WI00 0

(Feilcni } E.\prv.ss } Jeffere y M . hlarpe r

Federa l Aviatio n Administraiiot i Noilhwes t

Moimiai n Region . ANM- 7 160 1 Lin dAvenu e S.W . Renton . Washingto n 9805 7

/Fiic.siinili ' iin dFcdcrd I Express }