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Robert E. Scovill JR
May 3, 2001

 

Federal Aviation Administration
Freedom of Information Act Program ARC-40
Washington, DC 20591

 

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter of request for records is being made under the Freedom of Information Act.

The requester believes that the FAA office of Jeffrey D. Janusz, ACE-116W, Phone (316)-946-4148, is the most likely FAA office to be familiar with the records sought. If Janusz's office does not have all of the records, he will probably know other offices to contact. Some records are likely to be available from offices in Washington DC. Please contact the requester as needed to clarify sources of records.

Identification of Records Sought

Any record regardless of form related to FAA Safety Recommendations 99.283, 99.284 and other safety recommendations that have been issued as a consequence of 99.283 and 99.284 that is dated or that could be created and dated in the date range September 11, 2000 to May 5, 2001 inclusive.

It is further requested that the specific records listed on the following page in the Table of Expedited Records be given expedited processing for the compelling need to disseminate information that is urgent to informing the public of actual Federal Government activity with FAA Safety Recommendations 99.283 and 99.284. The requester is primarily engaged in disseminating this information to the public by means of telephone, postal mail, e-mail, fax, web site, face to face and news media.

 

 

Table of Expedited Records

Reference

Record Requested

Compelling Need

In a news article dated April 30, 2001, "An FAA spokeswoman says preliminary results from the tests, which are continuing, indicate that the aircraft pose no immediate danger to pilots who perform a proper preflight check."

The results from tests mentioned by the FAA spokeswoman are requested. Additionally, any supporting records that "indicate the aircraft pose no immediate danger" are requested.

This information is urgently needed to inform pilots and aircraft owners about the "positive detection" of fuel contamination and the "positive detection" of prevention of fuel contamination that the FAA is using in the tests. To the requester's knowledge, the spokeswoman's statement is the first and only news from the FAA that reveals a means for "positive detection" for aircraft that are in service. These results are urgently needed.

 

In a news article dated April 30, 2001, it is stated that "On May 30, the FAA's top regional inspection officers sent the manufacturer a letter requesting a voluntary halt to any shipments of single-engine aircraft from the new plant in Independence. Cessna officials say they were taken aback by the action. 'It certainly got their attention,' says John Hickey, the FAA's head of certification in Washington.

Cessna complied with the request. But that day, the company flew six senior officials in a company jet to Kansas City, Mo., to meet with the FAA's top regional regulators. At that tense meeting, Cessna provided agency officials with its own research into Cessna flying-safety records and persuaded the agency to limit the scope of its inquiry, according to people familiar with the matter. The FAA agreed to allow shipments to continue after just a one-day stoppage."

 

 

The letter sent to the manufacturer is requested.

Also requested are the records that the manufacturer "Provided agency officials ... [that] persuaded the agency to limit the scope of its inquiry" and leading the FAA to agree to "allow shipments to continue after just a one-day stoppage."

 

This information is urgently needed to inform pilots and aircraft owners about the manufacturer's records that refute test results that prompted the issuance of safety recommendations 99.283 and 99.284. These safety recommendations are based on test results that justify grounding aircraft and stopping production.

The manufacturer's records are urgently needed to reveal to pilots and aircraft owners the discrepancies in 99.283 and 99.284 related tests. The manufacturer's records that convinced the FAA to agree to "allow shipments to continue" are urgently needed so that pilots and owners of in service aircraft can benefit from the higher safety standard of "positive detection." This information is critical and expedient processing may save lives.

 

Sincerely,

Robert E. Scovill, Jr.

 

 

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