Opinion ID: 3036693
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jan’s and the zeigler email

Text: Jan’s owns a de Havilland Caribou DCH-4A (“Caribou”) transport plane that is registered in the Philippines. The Caribou is used to transport helicopters, also owned by Jan’s, that are rented or leased by various commercial fishery operators in Micronesia to search for tuna. Sometime in 2000, Jan’s asked the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) what authorization it needed to fly the foreign-registered Caribou out of the Guam Airport. The DOT replied that if Jan’s owned, operated and crewed the Caribou itself “the operation would be authorized by regulation under [14 C.F.R. §] 375.30, and no additional DOT operating authority would be required.” Jan’s took this statement to mean that it could fly the Caribou out of Guam Airport without any advance DOT or FAA authorization “so long as there was a unity of ownerAMERICOPTERS v. FAA 2929 ship between the Caribou and the helicopter being transported.” In July 2002, Guam Airport officials told Lewis Zeigler, regional FAA Aviation Safety Inspector, that a Philippineregistered Caribou was using the Guam Airport as a base from which to haul helicopters to other Pacific islands. On July 31, 2002, Zeigler sent an email (“Zeigler Email”) to the Guam Airport: What can you tell me about a Philippine registered Caribou (DHC-4) that is supposed to be based on Guam and flying around the islands? Supposedly it used to be a U.S. registered aircraft and is hauling some small helicopters that are used on fishing boats. Whoever it is they aren’t authorized to operate there. Though the email clearly referred to Jan’s Caribou, Jan’s did not receive a copy of the message from the FAA, Zeigler or the Guam Airport. Less than two weeks later, as Jan’s Caribou was preparing to taxi for take off, the Guam Airport denied ramp access, effectively grounding the aircraft. Jan’s immediately wrote to the FAA requesting a hearing to challenge the grounding of its Caribou without prior notice. Jan’s argued that the Zeigler Email was a final FAA order that in effect denied Jan’s ramp access without any notice or opportunity to be heard as required by FAA regulations 14 C.F.R. § 13.20(b)1 and (c).2 Jan’s also asked for rescission of 1 “Unless the Administrator determines that an emergency exists and safety in air commerce requires the immediate issuance of an order under this section, the person subject to the order shall be provided with notice prior to issuance.” 2 “Within 30 days after service of the notice [as required by §13.20(b)], the person subject to the order may reply in writing or request a hearing in accordance with Subpart D of this part.” 2930 AMERICOPTERS v. FAA the directive, as well as actual and consequential damages for the loss of contract revenues that resulted from the grounding of the Caribou. On August 23, 2002, the FAA’s Regional Counsel, Monroe Balton, sent a “preliminary finding,” indicating that Zeigler never directed the Guam Airport or anyone else to deny ramp access to Jan’s Caribou. However, Balton also wrote that Jan’s needed to apply for a permit to continue flying the Caribou.