Boeing 787 Dreamliner mishaps prompt FAA review
The Associated Press
Posted: Jan 11, 2013 9:14 AM ET
Last Updated: Jan 11, 2013 1:57 PM ET
The FAA is investigating several incidents on Boeing's 787 Dreamliners (Reuters)
Related
The Federal Aviation Administration is undertaking a comprehensive review of the critical systems of Boeing's 787s, the aircraft maker's newest and most technologically advanced plane, after a fire and a fuel leak earlier this week.
The review will include the design, manufacture and assembly of those systems, the FAA said in a statement Friday. Officials plan to detail the review at a news conference Friday morning.
The FAA statement gave no indication that the agency intends to limit or prohibit the 787 from flying during the review.
New components
The 787, which Boeing calls the "Dreamliner," relies more than any other modern airliner on electrical signals to help power nearly everything the plane does.
It's also the first Boeing plane to use rechargeable lithium ion batteries, which charge faster and can be moulded to space-saving shapes compared to other airplane batteries.
A Boeing official said the company is working with the FAA.
"We are absolutely confident in the reliability and performance of the 787," Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel said. "We are working with the FAA and our customers to ensure we thoroughly understand any introductory issues that arise. While we take each issue seriously, nothing we've seen in service causes us to doubt the capabilities of the airplane."
A fire ignited Monday in the battery pack of an auxiliary power unit of a Japan Airlines 787 empty of passengers as the plane sat on the tarmac at Boston's Logan International Airport. It took firefighters 40 minutes to put out the blaze. Also this week, a fuel leak delayed a flight from Boston to Tokyo of another Japan Airlines 787.
On Friday, Japan's All Nippon Airways reported two new cases of problems with the aircraft. ANA spokeswoman Ayumi Kunimatsu said a very small amount of oil was discovered leaking from the left engine of a 787 flight from southern Japan's Miyazaki airport to Tokyo.
The jet returned to Miyazaki, but after checks found no safety risk it flew to Tokyo. ANA said on another flight, to Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku, glass in a cockpit window cracked and the aircraft was grounded for repairs.
Boeing has insisted that the 787's problems are no worse than what it experienced when its 777 was new in the mid-1990s. That plane is now one of its top-sellers and is well-liked by airlines.
Share Tools
Top News Headlines
- Most groups don't want return of Trudeau speaking fees
- Most of the 17 charitable and other organizations that have paid speaking fees to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau during his time as an MP say they aren't interested in having their fees returned, despite Trudeau's offer on the weekend to reimburse any organization unhappy with his services. more »
- Are e-cigarettes safe to puff?
- As electronic or e-cigarettes grow in popularity, some health advocates want them to be regulated. more »
- Canada to send peacekeeping troops to Haiti
- A handful of Canadian troops are about to take part in peacekeeping operation in Haiti, under the command of Brazilian forces, in a long-delayed mission that has been kept inexplicably low on the political radar. more »
- Google asks secret court to lift gag on surveillance
- Google is asking the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to lift its long-standing gag order on how often the company is asked to turn over data about its customers to the U.S. government. more »
Must Watch
Latest Business Headlines
- Tim Hortons being circled by Wall Street hedge funds
- At least two groups of American hedge funds have bought large chunks of Tim Hortons shares recently, a sign the activist investors want to push the company to make major changes to its business, or possibly give up some control over the company. more »
- Chrysler agrees to recall 2.9 million Jeep SUVs in U.S., Canada
- Chrysler avoided a showdown with U.S. government safety regulators Tuesday, agreeing to recall 2.7 million older Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty SUVs in the U.S. and 180,000 in Canada that could be at risk of a fuel tank fire. more »
- Leaders downplay reports of stalled Canada-EU trade talks
- Both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his British counterpart, David Cameron, downplayed signs of trouble in the Canada-EU trade negotiations Tuesday, even as the European Union's spokesman suggested Canada hasn't shown enough "pragmatism and flexibility" at the table. more »
- Business jets dominate Bombardier's $2B in sales at air show
- Business jets dominated the aircraft orders announced by Bombardier on Tuesday, the second day of the Paris Air Show, accounting for most of the nearly $2 billion US worth of business that the Montreal-based company has done at the show — if all options are exercised. more »
- Crowdfunding websites trying to cash in on crowded field
- Success stories make it seem like crowdfunding websites drop cash from the heavens on to any deserving idea. But regulators and big banks are now taking a closer look at the controversial new field, Dianne Buckner writes. more »
Lang & O'Leary Exchange
Markets
| Index | Last Trade | Change |
|---|---|---|
| TSX COMPOSITE | 12367.46 | 78.56 |
| DOW | 15318.23 | 138.38 |
| NASDAQ | 3482.18 | 30.05 |
| SP 500 | 1651.81 | 12.77 |
| TSX-VENTURE | 929.99 | -4.05 |
The data on this site is informational only and may be delayed; it is not intended as trading or investment advice and you should not rely on it as such.
- Canadians in Dominican wedding fight freed from jail
- TV chef Nigella Lawson's husband cautioned by police for assault
- Huge ancient city at Angkor Wat revealed by lasers
- Disabled woman's care before dying on bus still a mystery
- Montreal mayor resigns amid corruption charges
- Student with bullied past, 'The Doorman,' graduates
- 'Standing man' inspires new, silent protests in Turkey
- G8 leaders agree to 7-point plan on Syria as summit wraps
- Parents of son 'brutally beaten' playing hockey want charges

