Opinion ID: 1264810
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Specialist Hertzog's Abbreviated Briefing Accurately Conveyed the Relevant Weather Information to Mr. Prokop

Text: Mr. Prokop called the FSS for a second briefing at 5:41 a.m., and spoke with FSS Specialist Hertzog. Early on in the briefing, Mr. Prokop mentioned that he had called earlier. ( Id. at 585.) That statement made it clear to Specialist Hertzog that Mr. Prokop had already received a briefing that morning. It was entirely appropriate, therefore, for Specialist Hertzog to ask if Mr. Prokop wanted a standard briefing, or if an abbreviated briefing would be sufficient. See Budden I, 963 F.2d at 193 (When it is not clear initially which type of briefing is desired, provide the first one or two items requested, and then ask the pilot: Would you like a standard briefing? (quoting Fed. Aviation Admin., Flight Service Handbook, ¶ 166)). Mr. Prokop indicated that an abbreviated briefing would be sufficient, thereby limiting Specialist Hertzog's duties to providing an abbreviated briefing. An abbreviated briefing intended to update a prior briefing should be focused, to the extent possible, [on] appreciable changes in the meteorological and aeronautical conditions since the previous briefing. Webb v. United States, 840 F.Supp. 1484, 1492 (D.Utah 1994); see also Fed. Aviation Admin., Order 7110.10P, ¶ 3-2-2.b (Feb. 21, 2002), (Aplt. Appx. at 648, 657). If the pilot requests specific information only, the specialist must provide that information, and in addition must inform the pilot of the existence of any adverse conditions, Tinkler, 982 F.2d at 1462, reported or forecast, Order 7110.10P, ¶ 3-2-2.a, (Aplt.App. at 657). In this case, Mr. Prokop requested an update briefing as well as specific information about current conditions in St. Cloud and the availability of any pilot reports. Therefore, Specialist Hertzog was required to inform Mr. Prokop of any significant changes in forecast or current conditions that arose since his last briefing, to describe the current conditions in St. Cloud, to inform Mr. Prokop of any relevant pilot reports, and to describe any adverse conditions that were present or forecast from Grand Rapids to St. Cloud or reported in any pilot reports. We hold that Specialist Hertzog adequately fulfilled these responsibilities. In fact, Mr. Hertzog may have provided Mr. Prokop more detail than required. For example, despite the fact that the AIRMET warning of the possibility of IFR conditions had not been amended since Mr. Prokop's earlier briefings, Mr. Hertzog warned Mr. Prokop that the AIRMET was still in effect for the entire state. Similarly, although conditions had improved at Grand Rapids since Mr. Prokop's first briefing, Specialist Hertzog warned him that there were still some marginal conditions there. Towards the end of the briefing, Specialist Hertzog provided some updates of conditions at nearby airports. In that context, he stated that at Aitkin it gets ah marginal with visibility they were down to three now they're up a little bit more ... ah Aitkin now is up to (unintelligible) new report just came in they're up to seven mile visibility with ceilings three thousand two hundred overcast some lower scattered layers below that. (Aplt. Appx. at 587.) At that point, Mr. Prokop interjected, stating, okay well good that's improving a little bit ha. ( Id. ) To which Mr. Hertzog replied, Ya and over in the maple lake area.... ( Id. ) Cirrus argues that Specialist Hertzog was negligent for confirming Mr. Prokop's statement that conditions were improving. Cirrus apparently interprets Mr. Prokop's statement that conditions were improving to mean that the overall weather forecast was improving. However, Mr. Prokop stated that conditions were improving immediately after Specialist Hertzog noted that a new report indicated that conditions at Aitkin were quite good and, in fact, it is undisputed that those conditions were an improvement over the previous forecast. Thus, it is more likely that Mr. Prokop was merely referring to that new reportnot the overall weather reportwhen he stated, and Specialist Hertzog confirmed, that conditions were improving a little bit. ( Id. ) Further, even if that exchange was referring to an improvement in overall weather conditions, Cirrus has failed to provide evidence indicating that overall conditions had not improved. In fact, a brief comparison of some of the prevailing weather conditions indicates that conditions had improved. The ceiling at Grand Rapids had lifted from 1300 feet at the time of the first briefing to 2800 feet at the time of the second briefing. Similarly, visibility at Aitkin, a nearby airport, had improved from five to seven miles. Conditions at Brainerd, another nearby airport, had deteriorated a little, but the Princeton and Maple Lake airports had both improved significantly. Thus, it would not have been error to state that conditions were improving. Further, even if the textual reports did not indicate improvement, Specialist Hertzog testified that, aside from the textual weather reports, he also looked at a loop of the weather depiction screen that indicated that the IFR areas were shrinking and VFR areas expanding over time. ( Id. at 601-04.) His testimony is further corroborated by the fact that, about a half hour after this briefing, an updated AIRMET Sierra was issued removing the entire area of Mr. Prokop's flight route from its prior IFR warning. [6] Thus it appears that conditions that morning were, in fact, improving, and Cirrus has provided no evidence to the contrary. Cirrus also argues that Specialist Hertzog was negligent for failing to inform Mr. Prokop that he would likely violate cloud clearance minimums by flying at his expected altitude of 2500 feet above mean sea level (MSL). Federal regulations provide that even if cloud ceilings and visibility are within the range in which a VFR pilot is allowed to fly, the pilot must also ensure that, when flying at night (i.e., in the dark), he maintains a minimum distance of 500 feet below any clouds, 1,000 feet above any clouds, and 2,000 feet horizontally from any clouds. See 14 C.F.R. § 91.155(a). Cirrus is correct that at 2500 MSL, Mr. Prokop would have likely been too close to some of the clouds on his route. Cirrus fails, however, to provide any evidence that Mr. Prokop actually intended to fly at that altitude. Mr. Prokop never indicated a specific expected altitude, and Specialist Hertzog's only intelligible remark on the subject was, anything anything you can get ha, (Aplt. Appx. at 584), to which Mr. Prokop replied, yep ya. ( Id. ) Specialist Hertzog then typed 2500 into his computer before receiving the weather report for Mr. Prokop's route, but Cirrus has provided no explanation for that entry. Cirrus has failed, therefore, to provide evidence that Specialist Hertzog actually expected Mr. Prokop to fly at 2500 feet MSL, so Specialist Hertzog was not negligent for failing to inform Mr. Prokop that he may violate federal regulations by flying at that particular altitude. Therefore, Specialist Hertzog also did not breach his duty to provide Mr. Prokop with accurate and complete weather information.