The US and Japanese aviation safety officials finished an initial investigation of a badly damaged battery from a Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner jet yesterday as Boeing said it was halting deliveries until the battery concerns were resolved.
Boeing said it would continue building the carbon-composite 787, but deliveries were on hold until the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved and implemented a plan to ensure the safety of potentially flammable lithium-ion batteries that prompted a widespread grounding of the new airplane this week.
In Washington, top US transportation official Ray LaHood said the 787 would not fly until regulators were “1,000 per cent sure” it was safe. A week earlier, LaHood had said he would not hesitate to travel on a Dreamliner.
FAA officials, US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Boeing joined Japanese authorities looking into the reason behind warning lights to go off this week on an All Nippon Airways domestic flight, prompting the aircraft to make an emergency landing at Takamatsu airport in western Japan.
The incident prompted regulators in the US and around the world to ground the 50 Dreamliners in service.
The biggest safety concerns centred on its lithium-ion batteries, lighter than the conventional batteries, pack more energy and are faster to recharge, but are also potentially flammable.
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A Japanese safety official at Takamatsu airport said excessive electricity might have overheated the battery and caused liquid to spill out. Pictures released by investigators of the battery showed a burnt-out blue metal box with clear signs of liquid seepage.
GS Yuasa Corp, the Japanese firm that makes batteries for the Dreamliner, said it sent three engineers to Takamatsu to help the investigation.
| A TIMELINE OF TURBULENCE Incidents with Boeing Dreamliner 787s so far |
| 2010 |
| Nov 9 Fire aboard 787 test jet forces emergency landing in Laredo, Texas. Test flights halted |
| 2011 |
| Jan 18 Initial delivery to All Nippon Airways delayed for the seventh time until 3Q after test-jet fire |
| 2012 |
| Aug 9 Shaft damage detected on GEnx 787 engine during test |
| Oct 4: Dislodged air nozzle in LP turbine causes GEnx engine failure |
| Dec 4 United 787 makes emergency landing in New Orleans when one of its six generators fails |
| Dec 5 FAA issues airworthiness directive for 787 inspections after fuel leaks on two planes |
| Dec 14 United Airlines 787 has a problem with electrical panel, Qatar Airways says its 787 remains grounded with a faulty generator |
| 2013 |
| Jan 7 US officials investigate JAL flight 008 at Boston’s Logan airport after a fire in the avionics bay. JAL 787 fire causes “severe” damage to APU unit, US National Transportation Safety Board says |
| Jan 11 Cockpit window on All Nippon 787 cracks during flight; Carrier’s another Dreamliner suffers oil leak |
| Jan13 Fuel leaks on JAL plane at Tokyo’s Narita airport during maintenance; same plane had leaked oil at Logan airport on Jan 8 |
| Jan 14 Japan’s ministry sets up team to probe incidents on ANA, JAL planes |
| Jan 16 All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines ground entire 787 fleet as an All Nippon plane makes emergency landing. All Nippon says it may have been caused by battery issue |
| Jan 17 Air India grounds its 787 fleet of six aircraft following an FAA directive |
| Source: Bloomberg |
At a news conference, the Japan Transport Safety Board said the charred battery and the systems around it would be sent to Tokyo for more checks.