LETTER TO MR. PETER INGRAM - CEO HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
November 9, 2021
From: Mr. Al Rioni, ATP Pilot
PO Box 81894
Las Vegas, NV 89180 email - flyaeroal@cs.com
To: Mr. Peter Ingram - CEO
Hawaiian Airlines
3375 Koapaka St.
Ste. 350 - Airport Industrial Park
Honolulu, HI 96819
Dear Mr. Ingram -
**This is a continuation of my previous correspondence to you regarding the use of 2-engine airliners on
long over-water routes.
**I understand the enormous costs and efforts required to replace your fleet of 2-engine airplanes
with 4-engine airplanes, and, I really didn’t expect a response from you, and, I certainly didn't
expect you to change your company policies as a result of my previous messages.
**As I am powerless to change things, I decided to just try to ignore, hope, and forget about this issue.
**However, I regularly watch Hawaiian TV stations on-line, and, I saw your recent TV interview in which
you stated that you were eagerly anticipating the addition of the new 2-engine Boeing 787
Dreamliners to your fleet.
**That TV interview was very depressing and dissappointing to watch, and, because of my lifetime
in aviation, and my record, over many years, of never putting so much as a scratch on a person, nor,
on an airplane, and because of my continuing dedication and concern for aviation safety, I couldn’t help
but wonder how any responsible airline executive, knowing full well of the recent near-catastrophes and
indisputable danger to the public after the recent engine failures which occurred on 2-engine airliners
bound for Hawaii, could sanction and continue this policy.
**Therefore, I have reluctantly copyrighted my NTSB Report for possible internet “Blog” or other
publication. I believe the flying public is entitled to this important information before a disaster occurs.
**Obviously, you are expecting, and hoping, that the program called ETOPS(Extended-Range Twin-Engine
Operational Procedures Standards) will CYA in case of a disaster resulting from extended over-water
single-engine airliner operation.
**Please find the enclosed document describing my opinions of ETOPS, and, why, I believe,
you cannot depend on ETOPS to protect and/or save your airline, and you personally, from enormous legal
liabilities, and possible criminal prosecution, should a 2-engine airliner ditching occur.
**I believe you are perpetuating an incredible business and personal risk.
Yours very truly - AR
See Below --- Letter to Mr. Lawrence S. Hershfield, Hawaiian Airlines Board Chairman,
November 26, 2021
From: Al Rioni (50 years experience as ATP Pilot)
PO Box 1894
Las Vegas, NV 89180 email – flyaeroal@cs.com
To: Mr. Lawrence S. Hershfield, Chairman of the Board of Directors
Hawaiian Airlines
3375 Koapaka St. - Ste. 350 - Airport Industrial Park
Honolulu, HI 96819
Dear Mr. Hershfield -
**I am sending you this message because, because, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of
Hawaiian Airlines, I feel you should be made aware of the lengthy report, concerning crucial air
safety issues, which I have submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as it
relates to the Hawaiian Airlines (and other airlines) cost-cutting policy of using airliners
having only 2-engines on long over-water routes.
**Recent engine failures on ETOPS certified Hawaii-bound airliners have prompted this
concern.
**I have enclosed a copy of this NTSB report, the NTSB reply, ETOPS opinion, along
with letters, I have submitted to Mr. Peter Ingram, Hawaiian Airlines CEO, regarding this
important safety issue.
**I don’t know if Mr. Ingram has shared my correspondence with the Board of Directors.
**If you are interested in reviewing this important business/safety issue, please review the
enclosed and copyrighted NTSB report, ETOPS information, and letters to Mr. Ingram before
reading any farther. . . .
------------------------------------------------
**The catastrophic consequences which may occur due to the irresponsible ignoring of the safety
information described in the enclosed NTSB report, which is an alert of a possible aircraft
ditching into the ocean, could result in the financial ruin of Hawaiian Airlines, in addition
in addition to the disastrous loss of life.
**By using aircraft, with only 2 engines, on long over-water routes, instead of 3 or 4 engine
aircraft, as were required in the past, I believe the information in my NTSB report, and letters
to Mr. Ingram, describe issues that place Hawaiian Airlines, and its management, in serious
business and possible criminal jeopardy.
I believe that the Board of Directors should be fully informed of these safety issues.
**Regardless of the futility of my efforts, after a lifetime in aviation, I feel I must express
my concerns.
**I am not foolish nor egotistical enough to believe that there would be such a major
change in the business model of Hawaiian Airlines as a result of any information provided by me.
**But, in any case, I cannot hide this concern, as you apparently are, hoping you will be
protected by hiding in the crowd.
**Apparently, airlines operating 2-engine airliners on long over-water routes are relying
on the information in the program called ETOPS (Extended Twin-engine Operational Procedures
Standards) to shield them from responsibility for any catastrophe which may occur as a result
of engine failure(s) which could result in an airliner having to ditch into the Pacific Ocean.
**(Please see the enclosed document in which I state my opinion of ETOPS).
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_________________________________________________________________________________________
**In the 14 page report I submitted to the NTSB (enclosed with this letter),
**I described the many engine failures which have recently occurred (SWA flt. #1380 April 2018 -
UAL flt. #1175 Feb.2018 – UAL flt. #328 Feb.2021 -- JAL – Okinawa - Dec. 2020 -
JAL-Toyko Oct.2021, and many others).
**In my report to the NTSB (enclosed), I particularly requested the NTSB members to review the
54 minute Youtube Video titled “Capt. Behnam UAL #1175 Fan Blade out event INTERVIEW” made by
United Airlines Captain Christopher Behnam in which he describes the extreme difficulty he
had in controlling his ETOPS certified 2-engine Boeing 777 after the failure of the right engine.
**ETOPS and other CYA documents use “Manufacturer’s” supplied aircraft performance figures,
and flight tests conducted under “Ideal” conditions, to justify the use of 2-engine airliners
on long over-water flights.
**ETOPS assumes that 2-engine airliners, when operating on only 1 engine, are able to maintain
altitude for extended distances.
**UAL Flt.#1175 proves that this is a false, highly irresponsible, and dangerous assumption.
**Because of unforeseen and unanticipated additional problems which occurred on
UAL Flt. #1175, caused by the engine failure, Captain Behnam specifically
states that, because of these unanticipated problems, caused by the engine failure, the flight
test results and the aircraft manufacturer’s single-engine performance figures (Used by ETOPS)
could not be relied upon, and, were “Useless.”
**The distance from the US west coast to Hawaii is 2500 miles, which places an airliner
1250 miles from the closest land at the midpoint of the flight – over 5 hours away at the reduced single-engine
speed, caused by the loss of 1 engine.
**UAL flight #1175 was less than 200 miles (40 minutes) from Honolulu when the right engine
failed.
**Captain Behnam specifically states (beginning at the 49 minute point in the above mentioned
Youtube interview), that, regardless of manufacturer's aircraft performance specifications, and
because of these unforeseen aerodynamic problems, his aircraft was unable to maintain altitude,
and, also specifically states that they would not have been able to make it to Honolulu
if the airplane had been only a few more miles from Honolulu when the engine failure occurred,
and would certainly been forced to ditch. Unbelievably close call.
**This earthshaking statement, by Capt. Behnam, absolutely and completely destroys the ETOPS
sham.
Of course, the ditching of a fully loaded airliner, enroute to Hawaii, and the loss of hundreds
of tourist lives, caused by Hawaiian Airlines management's apparent selfish and callous lack
of concern for the lives of its tourist visitors, along with the resulting negative national
publicity, would be devastating to the future tourist ecomomy of the Hawaiian Islands.
**In my opinion, anyone continuing to ignore the circumstances which occurred on UAL Flt. #1175,
as described by Captain Behnam, and other engine-failure incidents, is incompetent, potential
corrupt, and criminally negligent.
****Other Hawaiian Airlines routes are even farther over water and farther from land.
**This 2-engine cost-cutting policy obviously endangers lives. That is the reason for
these messages.
**Because of the many recent engine failures on commercial airliners, and, regardless of the
enormous costs, inconvenience, disruption of service, and other problems which may occur when
adding 3 or 4 engine airplanes to the Hawaiian Airlines fleet, I believe it is the responsibility
of the Hawaiian Airlines (and other airlines) Board of Directors, to immediately correct this
indisputably dangerous situation, BEFORE, rather than AFTER a catastrophic airliner ditching
occurs.
**It is the Board of Directors ultimate responsibility to protect passenger's and employee's
lives - -stockholder investments -- and to take the necessary actions to save Hawaiian Airlines
from disaster.
Sincerely yours - - AR
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