INVESTIGATION, ENFORCEMENT, AND SANCTIONS
Questions & Answers
Q- What is an enforcement action?
A- An action taken by the FAA when there could be a violation of a
regulation
Q- Are FAA employees the only people who can
accuse a crewmember of not following a regulation?
A- No. Many times the FAA must investigate complaints by passengers
regarding alleged violations. These complaints may be made to the local
FAA office or they may be made through the various FAA hotlines.
Q- Is it true that every time an inspector
mentions something on a flight that is a problem, this will result in a
violation?
A- No. Sometimes the inspector is just pointing out a problem. Or the
inspector will discover that while the flight attendant is following the manual,
it is the manual that is wrong. When this is the case any sanctions will
be made against the carrier.
Q- Do all violations result in fines?
A- No, most of the time they result in Administrative Actions.
Q- What is the maximum amount a flight
attendant can be fined?
A- It would not exceed $1100 for one violation.
Q- Who determines what the fine or punishment
will be?
A- The investigating inspector will recommend a punishment, or
sanction. This will be reviewed by the Regional Counsel's office.
Q- How long will it be before the flight
attendant knows what will happen regarding the suspected violation?
A- The time could vary
Q- What should the flight attendant do if an
inspector says she was in violation and the flight attendant doesn't think so?
A- Contact the AFA safety representative and provide as much information as
possible, but do nothing else until a letter is received from the FAA. The
inspector may discover that he/she made a mistake. Also, the flight
attendant may have been following a manual that was wrong.
Q- What is the most important action the
flight attendant can take during the process?
A- Remember it is the investigating inspector who recommends the
sanction. Be very polite and if guilty make sure the FAA and the air
carrier know that the flight attendant understands the importance of what has
happened and will not do it again.
Q- Are there other important actions to take?
A- Make sure that the AFA Air Safety and Health Department knows what is
happening.