xxx Because of the many recent airliner engine failures, and, near ocean ditchings, these webpages are an attempt to challenge the incredibly powerful airline lobby, and, convince federal regulators, and, in spite of the considerable cost and inconvience, to re-instate the former FAA requirement that airliners, crossing vast expanses of open oceans, must have 3 or 4 engines, which have the necessary engine and system redundancy required on these long over water flights, and, to abandon the current cost-cutting and dangerous airline policy of using airliners, having only 2 engines, on these long overwater flights. .

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xxx Sadly, the following information seems indicate that many professional pilots are willing to sacrifice their personal integrity and reputations, and, even endanger the lives of their unknowing passengers, and, the unknowing public, in order to please their employers, and keep their jobs.

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xxx On December 29th 2022, United Airlines Flight #839, a 2-engine Boeing 787 “Dreamliner”, carrying over 300 passengers, enroute from Los Angeles to Sydney Australia, an overwater trans-Pacific flight of almost 8000 miles, experienced an engine failure in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and, was forced to divert, with only 1 operating engine, to the nearest airport, 1000 miles away, on the Island of Pago Pago, in American Samoa.

xxx A few years ago, the FAA, after intensive lobbying by the airline industry, created a questionable money/fuel-saving program called "ETOPS" (Extended Twin-engine Operation Procedures Standards), which allowed and "Justified" the airline switch from the previous requirement that only airliners having 3 or 4 engines be used on extended over-ocean flights, to the cost-cutting-fuel-saving policy of using airliners having only 2 engines on these very long and isolated over-ocean flights.

xxxThis Pago Pago diversion is one of many recently occurring close-calls which, after ETOPS was created, could have easily resulted in a passenger filled airliner having had to ditch into the Pacific Ocean, after the failure of 1 (or both) of its 2 engines.

xxx This airplane with 300 passengers on board, had to fly for 3 hours, at night, with only
1 operating engine, 1000 miles across open ocean, from the point of the engine failure, before finally making it to Pago Pago.

xxx Even though, this time, this airliner was fortunate enough to reach Pago Pago with
only 1 operating engine, in my opinion, for the FAA, and, for the airlines, to allow this situation to exist, where 300 passengers, including children and infants, were totally dependent, flying for over 3 over-ocean hours, through unknown and uncertain weather conditions, and, with
only 1 operating, and now over-worked engine, of unknown age and flight hours, is, in my opinion, an indication of how far down the scale of decency, and, how far down the scale of concern for airline passenger safety, and how far down the FAA safety standards for airline travel have been reduced, in order to "Accommodate" the money and profit-obsessed airlines, and, their powerful lobby.

xxx At the present time, when there have been so many recently reported airliner engine-failures, the possibility certainly existed, during this 3-hour diversion flight to Pago Pago, for the failure of the only remaining, and, now over-worked, engine, which would have resulted in the unthinkable ditching of this passenger filled airplane into the Pacific Ocean.

xxx This terrifing situation could never have happened with a 4-engine airliner before the airline lobby "Pressured" the FAA to create ETOPS. (The dubious FAA program which enabled the use of these dangerous 2-engine airliners on extended over-water flights, as mentioned above.)

The Blancolirio Aviation YouTube Channel
xxx For the past several months, I have been a fan of a YouTube Aviation Channel which calls itself “The Blancolirio Channel”, which is published by a Boeing 777 co-pilot named Juan Browne.

xxx I have enjoyed, admired, and learned from, Mr. Browne’s expert analysis of aviation accidents.

xxx It was, in fact, Mr. Browne who conducted the very informative, eye-opening, and shocking 54 minute YouTube interview with Mr. Christopher Behnam, the Captain of United Airlines Flight #1175, a 2-engine Boeing 777, which, on February 18th 2018, experienced a catastrophic failure of the right engine during the 2500 mile over-water flight from San Francisco to Honolulu, which nearly resulted in this airliner, carrying 381 passengers, having to ditch into the Pacific Ocean because it was unable to maintain altitude with only 1 operating engine.

xxx This YouTube interview with Captain Behnam, conducted by Mr. Browne, is the video I included in the 14-page safety report that I submitted to the FAA, and, to the NTSB, (See: previous webpage) in order to expose and illustrate the obvious danger that the airlines and the FAA are subjecting the flying public to, caused by the fuel/money saving switch from airliners having 3 or 4 engines, down to airliners having only 2-engines, being allowed to be used on extended over-ocean flights.
xxx (see below: 54 minute YouTube video “Captain Behnam UAL Flt. #1175 fan blade failure”).

Blancolirio Channel - "Interview with UAL #1175 Captain"

xxx Fortunately, this above mentioned 2018 engine failure (UAL Flight #1175 - a 2-engine Boeing 777) occurred when the airplane was only 130 miles (30 minutes) from Honolulu, but, un-fortunately, because of unforeseen aerodynamic and vibration problems, and, airframe damage, caused by the explosive engine failure, the 1 remaining engine did not have sufficient power to overcome these problems, which resulted in this airplane being unable to maintain altitude, and, which forced this airliner, carrying 381 people, including children and infants, into an uncontrollable decent.
xxx Therefore, this airliner was very fortunate to barely make the 130 mile, (30 minute),
1-engine descending powered glide to the Honolulu Airport.

xxx Based on Captain Behnam's detailed discription, there can be no doubt that if this engine failure had occurred only a few minutes earlier, when only a few miles farther away from Hawaii, this airliner, carrying 381 persons, would have ditched into the Pacific Ocean, which would have made this event the worst 1 airplane accident in the history of aviation.

xxx Because of Captain Behnam’s vivid description, in this YouTube video/interview with Mr. Browne, of the near catastrophic ocean ditching of this Hawaii bound airliner, after the failure of 1 of its only 2 engines, I believed that Mr. Browne would be interested in commenting on the information contained in my Report to the NTSB.

xxx So, I sent a link to this website --- to Mr. Browne’s email address.

xxx However, as Mr. Browne portrays himself as a safety-conscious pilot, I am very disappointed that I have received no response nor comment, from Mr. Browne, concerning these critical and indisputable safety issues.

xxx UPDATE: Mr. Browne has recently replied to my email with very short and vague statement in which he, incredibly, considering his interview with Captain Behnam, continues to defend the safety of the ETOPS 2-engine over-ocean program.

xxx In my opinion, Mr. Browne's defense of ETOPS and this UAL #839 Pago Pago flight diversion is the classic example of knowledgeable and professional people, including pilots, afraid to express what they know is a dangerous airline policy, for fear of losing their jobs by challenging the policies established by unprofessional people in places of power, such as airline boards of directors, CEO's, and government bureaucrats, many with very little, or, no, aviation knowledge, but, who, nevertheless, make life and death aviation decisions, affecting the lives of unsuspecting airline passenters, for economic and/or political reasons.

xxx I had hoped that Mr. Browne, based on his shocking interview with Captain Behnam, and, on a sense of professional responsibility, would take an active part, as I have, in trying to expose, and, help correct, this indisputable and dangerous airline decision to switch from the previous requirement that 3 or 4 engine airliners be used on extended over-ocean flights, down to only 2-engine airliners, which is now endangering the lives of innocent passengers.

xxx I believe Mr. Browne is reluctant to engage in a detailed conversation on this important safety issue because he knows there are no counter-arguments to the dangers of these 2-engine extended over-ocean flights, as described in my Report to the NTSB, and, because he also knows that his apparent endorsement of these 2-engine over-ocean flights would be indefensible in an objective debate.

xxx I understand that Mr. Browne has worked hard to rise to the level of being a pilot on a Triple 7, and, that he may not want to jeopardize his employment and income by challenging these dangerous airline and FAA 2-engine over-ocean policies.

xxx However, it was, nevertheless, very disappointing to see Mr. Browne, during his recent video concerning the UAL diversion to Pago Pago, as described above, in my opinion, trying very hard to portray the obviously bogus and dangerous ETOPS over-water engine-failure diversion program as a credible alternative from the previous 4-engine over-ocean safety program.

xxx I was particularly saddened and disappointed by Mr. Browne seeming to minimize the seriousness of this recent UAL engine failure, which occurred 1000 over-ocean miles from Pago Pago.

xxx For example - - instead of describing the obvious passenger terror in realizing how close they were to their lives suddenly coming to an end in the middle of the enormous Pacific Ocean, while trying to visualize, for over 3 hours, what it might be like when the airplane hits the water, and, whether or not they would be able to escape against the onrushing water, and, if they were fortunate enough to escape from the airplane through the panic, would they be able to locate and care for their children while in the water, and, in the blackness of night.

xxx Many of these passengers were undoubtedly crying, and - on their knees - praying for their lives, and, for the lives of their families, for over 3 terrifying night time hours of 1-engine over-ocean flight.

xxx Pilots, and some other aviation professionals, may be somewhat accustomed to this kind of stress, but, apparently, they are not aware that the average airline passenger is not.

xxx Rather than acknowledging the state of mind of the passengers and crew aboard this "flying horror show", Mr. Brown attempted to make light of the plight of the passengers, and, minimize the danger and incredible stress they were subjected to, by joking how this emergency diversion ended up “forcing them to have drinks on the beach at Pago Pago".

xxx A truly dispicable statement.

xxx In my opinion, this appeared to be a pitiful attempt, by a person eager to kiss the asses of the powerful airline industry, please his employers, preserve his job, and confirm that he is an industry "Team-player" by attempting to justify, with light-hearted joking, this dangerous 2-engine extended over-ocean flight policy.

xxx I believe Mr. Brown knows full-well that this 2-engine airliner over-ocean policy is endangering the flying public.

xxx I believe Mr. Browne, whether intentional or inadvertantly, exposed his true feelings about this 2 ½ hour ETOPS 1-engine diversion flight to Pago Pago, and, actually destroyed his attempted justification of ETOPS, by inadvertently making the following off-the-cuff comment, probably unplanned/unrehearsed, at the 1:25 point of this YouTube video, and, after describing the engine failure - -

xxx "2 ½ hours is a long time for an airliner to be floating around over the ocean with only 1 engine"

xxxxxxx Mr. Browne's statments, at the 3:55 and 6:27 points of this video, also exposes his knowledge of the danger of of these 1-engine ETOPS procedures.

xxx These comments, by Mr. Browne, intentional or not, expose his true feelings of how much danger that UAL #839, and, its passengers and crew, were subjected to during that 1000 mile 1-engine diversion flight to Pago Pago.

xxx Actually, instead of defending the airlines 2-engine extended over-ocean policy, Mr. Browne, whether or not he is aware of it, seems to be doing exactly the opposite, by proving the idiocy of the ETOPS program, by displaying the complicated and far-fetched FAA overlapping 3-hour (ETOPS) flight rings, and, describing the many complicated procedures to be followed after the failure of 1 engine, on a 2-engine airliner, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and, many hours away from the nearest airport, thereby, confirming the complexities of the ETOPS program, and the long distances and 3 hours of dangerous flight time needed for a disabled airliner, operating with only 1 engine, to reach airstrips on remote and isolated islands, some with limited facilities, scattered across the enormous Pacific Ocean.

xxx The fallacy of these ETOPS 3 hour flight rings is that -- Even if an airplane should be fortunate enough to make it to a remote alternate airstrip with only 1 engine, the 3 hours of flight time needed to reach the nearest airport, is, in my opinion, far too much time for passengers and crews of a crippled airliner to be exposed to a dangerous and extremely terrifying 1-engine over-water diversion flight.


Mr. Browne explaining the UAL Flight #839 1-engine flight diversion to Pago Pago
xxx To see and evaluate, for yourself, Mr. Browne's pitiful YouTube video concerning the United Airlines Flight # 839 flight diversion - click below --

"Blancolirio Channel --"Emergency Divert UAL #839 Pago Pago"

xxx Another fallacy of these ETOPS 3-hour flight rings - "3-ring circus" - as described by Mr. Browne, is that the 3 hours of flight time to the nearest airport also assumes that a 2-engine airliner will be able to maintain altitude with only 1 engine operating, and, that the airspeed of a 2-engine airliner, operating with only 1 engine, can be determined, controlled, and/or, relied upon.

xxx The above mentioned United Airlines Flight #1175 engine-failure incident, which occurred in 2018, shows that neither of these assumptions is credible.

xxx These unknown factors, and, many other unanticipated potential problems which could befall an airliner, all alone, over the vast Pacific Ocean, is why the FAA, before succumbing to "Pressures" from the airline lobby, previously required 4-engine airliners be used on these extended over-water flights.

xxx Prior to the switch from 4-engine airliners to 2-engine airliners, and prior to the creation of ETOPS, none of the ridiculous and complicated ETOPS diversion procedures and charts, which assume and/or ignore unknown and unpredicable performance capabilities of a disabled airliner, ignore the effect of any speed reducing headwinds, and, also assume and/or ignore the possibility of rapidly changing weather conditions at a far away alternate airport, many hours away, were necessary, as previous engine failures on 4-engine airliners, left 3 remaining engines, to provided the necessary engine redundancy to continue safely to any destination.

xxx Mr. Browne, by openly displaying, and, by apparently endorsing, how far the FAA has to reach, and, how far the FAA is willing to stretch, bend, and twist the limits of safety and common sense in order to accommodate the powerful airline lobby’s pressures and desire to save money on fuel, I believe this pitiful video, by Mr. Brown, also displays Mr. Browne’s unprofessional, irresponsible, and very dissappointing “Go along-to get along” attitude, in order to keep his job.

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ETOPS From - - "Flight Crew Guide" Maximum Diversion Time

xxx Maximum Diversion Distance is the distance covered in still air and standard conditions based on the One Engine inoperative (cruise) speed in the maximum diversion time.

xxx The FAA has established widely different maximum 1-engine flight times to diversion airports depending on the aircraft/engine combination.

xxx The required operational approval by the authority may be granted for different maximum diversion times (rule time), e.g. 120 or 180 MIN, depending on the engine-aircraft combination.

xxx As maximum diversion time is based on still air distance, the actual diversion time calculated on the Operational Flight Plan might be greater.

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xxx Note: (In this Blancolirio YouTube video, concerning this Pago Pago engine failure, Mr. Browne states that the 1000 nautical mile diversion flight to Pago Pago took 2 ½ hours.

xxx Because basic aeronautical knowledge states that it takes 4 times the power to double the speed of an airplane, it follows that losing 1 engine, on a 2 engine airliner, having a normal 2-engine airspeed of 550 knots (at FL380) and, not considering the effects of any winds aloft, would reduce the airplanes airspeed to under 275 knots.

xxx Also, considering Mr. Browne’s statement that the loss of the engine required the airplane to descend from FL380 down to FL200, which also decreases airspeed, I believe the flight time required for this diversion flight to Pago Pago was probably much more than the 2 ½ hours reported by Mr. Browne.

xxx However, in order for the flight time to Pago Pago, (1000 miles away), to remain within the 3-hour ETOPS flight circle, Mr. Browne states that the airplane needed to fly at a speed of 310 knots.

xxx Even if this speed is possible (Doubtful) with only 1-engine propelling this 500,000 pound airliner thru the denser air at FL200, this would certainly require a much higher than normal power demand on the 1 remaining engine, placing higher than normal stresses on this engine, increasing the possibility of this engine also failing during the 3+ hour diversion flight.

xxx This dubious airspeed claim, by Mr. Brown, further illustrates the lengths that United Airlines and the FAA, assisted by Mr. Browne, need to resort to, in stretching the limits of safety in order to justify and defend the ETOPS program.

xxx Therefore, I believe that Mr. Browne, in order to minimize the length of time the passengers lives were in peril, and, in order to minimize the seriousness of this engine failure event, may have knowingly and intentionally understated the time that was required for this diversion flight. (The aircraft's actual airspeed/groundspeed can be easiliy determined from the information available on "Flightaware.com" website, and/or, the aircrafts flight data recorder. (FDR)

xxx I believe that Mr. Browne's description of the UAL Pago Pago diversion is a deliberate attempt to deceive and divert the attention of the followers of his YouTube Channel away from other important hidden and dangerous flight routes.

xxx Such as - - the fact that the overwater distance from the US West Coast to the Hawaiian Islands is over 2500 over-ocean miles, which places a passenger filled airliner, (including children and infants), 1250 miles from the closest land should an engine fail at the half-way point of this flight.

xxx Therefore, even if a 2-engine airliner was able to maintain 310 kts. with only 1 engine running, it would take over 4 hours to cover the 1250 miles to either Hawaii or the US West Coast, which is well above the 3-hour maximum required by ETOPS.

xxx Therefore, it would appear, depending on what type of airliner is used, that many of these 2500 mile over-ocean flights from the US West-Coast to the Hawaiian Islands are operating in violation of ETOPS, and, that the FAA and Mr. Browne, in order to accomodate the airline lobby, and, perpetuate ETOPS, and, to permit these 2-engine over-ocean operations to the Hawaii, are intentionally ignoring ETOPS violations in order to continue some apparently illegal Hawaiian flights.

xxx In my opinion, this exposes the intentional fraud in the entire ETOPS sham.


xxx Again, I submit that, whether or not an airliner is able to make a 1-engine extended over-ocean diversion to an alternate airport is not the point.

xxx As stated above, I believe that it is unconscionable for the FAA, in order to accommodate the powerful airline lobby, to permit and remain silent concerning a situation where the passengers and crews, aboard this UAL flight, were put into such an extremely stressful and terrifying 1000 mile, 3 hour/1 engine, over-ocean flight diversion to Pago Pago.

xxx I believe that, in spite of his efforts to minimize the seriousness of this UAL diversion to Pago Page, Mr. Browne certainly knows that the lives of these 300 people, including children and infants, were hanging by the slenderest of threads, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, for 3, or, probably more, hours, while knowing full well that a similar problem with the 1 remaining, and, over-worked, engine would result in this airliner “Ditching” into the ocean, which, would result in their almost certain deaths.

xxx It was very depressing for me to watch someone whom I had admired, seem to degrade himself, and, the pilot community, by trying to defend the indefensible ETOPS program, in order to kiss the butts of his employers, and the FAA.

xxx As stated above, I have, in the past, been a loyal follower of Mr. Browne's YouTube videos.

xxx However, after watching Mr. Browne's video, concerning this Pago Pago diversion, and, although I have tried, and, because I have lost all respect for Mr. Browne, I have had to quickly turn off Mr. Browne's videos after only a few seconds.

To see and evaluate this issue, click below to review Mr. Browne’s YouTube video --

Blancolirio Channel -- "Emergency Divert UAL #839 Pago Pago"

xxx In my opinion, Mr. Browne, by publishing this video, severely damaged his credibility and professional integrity by attempting to convince the followers of his YouTube Channel, that the life threatening risk of this obviously dangerous 2-engine extended over-water flight policy can be mitigated with the ridiculous and dangerous ETOPS program of overlapping 3-hour flight circles and extremely complicated diversion procedures, all of which were unnecessary before the ETOPS 2-engine over-ocean program was begun.

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xxx (Note) There is at least a slight chance (I hope), that Mr. Browne’s video may have been an intentional “Ruse”, made to merely appease/confuse his employers, and, to preserve his friendships with fellow 2-engine Boeing 777/787 pilots, and, that, in reality, he actually agrees that this ETOPS overwater policy is dangerous, and, in his video, he actually may have intended to expose how ridiculous these stupid 3 hour flight ring charts are.

xxx One would think that if Mr. Browne is a true supporter of the ETOPS program, he would want to conceal its dangers, rather than publish a YouTube video exposing its obvious dangers.

xxx Therefore, in spite of his FAA/employer accommodating words, there is at least a chance that, by publishing this nonsensical and credibility self-destroying YouTube video, Mr. Browne’s real intentions were to inform the world of how dangerous this ETOPS 2-engine over-ocean policy actually is, by exposing and describing how ridiculous this ETOPS 3-hour flight-ring program is, and, the extreme danger the 300 passengers and crews aboard this 2-engine airliner were subjected to while flying 1000 miles, over open ocean, for 3 hours, with only 1 engine keeping this 500,000 pound airliner in the air.

xxx I hope this cleaver tactic by Mr. Browne, if true, proves to be effective.

xxx In order to properly evaluate the information in this report, one must consider the numerous engine failures which have recently ocurred and also consider how close this UAL flight diversion came to becoming one of the worst air disasters in aviaton history.

xxx For much more detailed information concerning this critical airline safety issue – click the links below.

14 page report to NTSB
ETOPS -- (2-engine over-water rules)
Letters to airline executives
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