FAA Emergency Order of Suspension

ttexrbomb

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Ryan
I just had a very scary incident involving the FAA. Over the last seven months, I’ve been going back and forth with them trying to establish my eligibility to hold my first class medical certificate. At one point, they did not receive my information within the sixty days and the FAA regional office started an enforcement action against me. They actually did receive the information timely, but due to covid, weren’t able to log it received in time.

This started an enforcement case against me. When the information they requested was received, the enforcement case was supposed to stop. It didn’t.

Two months later (last week), I receive my special issuance for a first class medical. The SI is based on a surgery I had in 2019, and the FAA said they typically want to follow those surgeries for two years, then I’ll be off my SI.

Yesterday, I get a FEDEX envelope from FAA Enforcement. It was an Emergency Order of Suspension. They were suspending my medical until I provided them the information they requested and they had an opportunity to review my eligibility. I got this despite the FAA already having my information and closing my medical case.

Talk about stress and the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. There was no answer at the FAA’s attorney, so I had to leave a handful of messages at the regional offices. I even drove down to the regional office which happens to be just right down the street from where I live. Nobody was there to help. I finally reached somebody at the regional office who handles medicals. Apparently the enforcement action didn’t get stopped while my medical qualifications were assessed. The enforcement analyst didn’t see the note regional put in there to stop the enforcement case. They were able to clear this up quickly for me over the phone. The analyst apologized and told me I have a first class medial and I am good to fly. The emergency order should never have been issued to me. The next day I was called by another medical office (another region - the medical office handling my initial case was in a different region than where I lived). I was told there were no flags on my file and I am good to go. The FAA attorney generated a letter to me to disregard the Emergency Order.

But talk about stress. Luckily it all worked out.


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I'd frame that darned FAA attorney letter. We got into a "registration loop" with our airplane that took more than a year to straighten out. I don't know who designs their systems, but it's not someone who uses them.
 
So you really only have their verbal ok.
That would chap me, so nice to have a written note or email - something!
I'd record date/time/callerID/names/position/discussion - if available, in the least. Good luck, sounds like a horror story.
 
So you really only have their verbal ok.
That would chap me, so nice to have a written note or email - something!
I'd record date/time/callerID/names/position/discussion - if available, in the least. Good luck, sounds like a horror story.
It says that the FAA attorney generated a letter. That would work for me.
 
Ugh. I had a similar issue with an LLC I had formed years ago. I dissolved the LLC in 2012 but kept getting letters because I hadn't filed taxes on it. Took me about 3 years and about 15 calls from me and my CPA to finally get it resolved. They had actually sent me an 'invoice' for penalty of non-payment of taxes. One person would tell me all I had to do was XYZ. Then 6 months later I get another letter then that person says no you have to do 1-2-3, etc. Went on for 3 years
 
This is good to read, that’s about to happen to me. Can ya send phone numbers?

I’ve done what I was supposed to (aug), MONTHS later got the letter saying I didn’t (December, I have 60 days...), called my doc, they said they sent a response showing they did, just got the second letter saying I didn’t (feb), now I have 30 days... ugh

It’s coming, sure as hell its coming.
 
There is, and for “x” amount extra, you can buy insurance against the odds of what you’re paying for actually coming to fruition!

Brilliant...

“Just be happy you don’t get all the government you pay for.” Wish I knew who said this!
 
Oh, and I’ve seen “emergency revocations” A YEAR AND A HALF LATER... wow.
 
A branch of the US government uses FedEx to deliver time sensitive information. Hmmm. If only there was a government-funded entity that could deliver mail...

The USPS is not government funded. Just government managed. Go figure.
 
A branch of the US government uses FedEx to deliver time sensitive information. Hmmm. If only there was a government-funded entity that could deliver mail...

Right. They sent the notice by FedEx, certified mail and regular mail. I guess they wanted to make sure I got the memo.


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This is good to read, that’s about to happen to me. Can ya send phone numbers?

I’ve done what I was supposed to (aug), MONTHS later got the letter saying I didn’t (December, I have 60 days...), called my doc, they said they sent a response showing they did, just got the second letter saying I didn’t (feb), now I have 30 days... ugh

It’s coming, sure as hell its coming.

Sending you a message.


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Oh, and I’ve seen “emergency revocations” A YEAR AND A HALF LATER... wow.

I’ve read about them. Probably the scariest letter you can get from the FAA. I’m glad it was a mistake.

On my multi engine single engine out checklist, there is an item that says “VERIFY”. Maybe the FAA could take a page out of that book and do the same thing before sending out Emergency Orders?


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I’ve read about them. Probably the scariest letter you can get from the FAA. I’m glad it was a mistake.

On my multi engine single engine out checklist, there is an item that says “VERIFY”. Maybe the FAA could take a page out of that book and do the same thing before sending out Emergency Orders?


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Unfortunately it's probably some type of measure to err on the side of caution on their part. Which means when in doubt ground the airman, sort it out later.
 
I’ve read about them. Probably the scariest letter you can get from the FAA. I’m glad it was a mistake.

On my multi engine single engine out checklist, there is an item that says “VERIFY”. Maybe the FAA could take a page out of that book and do the same thing before sending out Emergency Orders?
They could, but that means they'd have to have more staff.

And publicity won't do it because they can say their actions were out of an abundance of caution and it only affected one person (and 'protected' the rest).
<political comment exorcised>
 
That argument doesn’t hold water. A YEAR AND A HALF, call it EMERGENT?

That’s about covering their asses. Has NOTHING to do with an abundance of caution. Doing their job ANYWHERE near efficiently would be prudent in the name of safety.

Would anyone call me abundantly cautious if I downed airline jets a year later??? “I finally got around to checking my notes and just saw I need to ground a jet because it was unsafe.” “Let’s have them divert right now.”

Doing what they call emergent late, puts EVERYONE in danger, by their standards.
 
That argument doesn’t hold water. A YEAR AND A HALF, call it EMERGENT?

That’s about covering their asses. Has NOTHING to do with an abundance of caution. Doing their job ANYWHERE near efficiently would be prudent in the name of safety.

Would anyone call me abundantly cautious if I downed airline jets a year later??? “I finally got around to checking my notes and just saw I need to ground a jet because it was unsafe.” “Let’s have them divert right now.”

Doing what they call emergent late, puts EVERYONE in danger, by their standards.
The use of the term "emergency" allows the agency to bypass some of the other regulatory constraints and procedures that might otherwise apply. It allows them to act now and sort it out later. Much like an emergency AD. In that scenario, economic impact and freedoms take a back seat to "protection".

RIght or wrong, that's the way the system is set up, and the FAA is not the only agency that uses such a system. It's all part of administrative law.
 
And I understand that.

The take away is “safety” and “emergency” are administrative terms. Not operational. It is, after all the FA”Adminstration”, not FA”Operation”.

The very best AMEs are administrative wizzard’s, not necessarily medical experts.

Im really not complaining, just pointing out how you really have to look at it to deal with it effectively. It’s kinda counter intuitive.
 
ttexrbomb:
Your error was you pushed the time deadlines. The system is ill equipped to handle that.
 
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