the airbus 340 is an hour or so into its 11-hour flight from Hong Kong to Auckland, New Zealand. Twelve kilometers below, the islands of the Philippine archipelago are sliding by off to starboard. That's when, deep inside one of the plane's four General Electric-made engines, small bits of insulating skin begin to peel off and fly out the back. Their departure breaches the surface and opens tiny passageways into the compartment where the jet fuel burns. As cold outdoor air seeps in, the compartment's temperature starts to drop.

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