FAA to launch comprehensive review of Boeing 787

[KeepItReal]

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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 agency said Friday.

The review will include the design, manufacture and assembly of those systems, the FAA said in a statement. Officials plan to detail the review at a news conference Friday morning.

...

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.



Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/FAA-to-launch-comprehensive-review-of-Boeing-787-4185827.php

[AtheistCrusader]

1. Oh, when they said battery pack I thought they meant

a consumer battery in the luggage compartment. Wasn't initially reported (at least here) as being a component of the aircraft.

[KeepItReal]

4. The Lithium Ion batteries the 787 uses are made in Japan

"Shares of Japan's GS Yuasa Corp , which makes batteries for Boeing Co's new 787 Dreamliner, fell sharply for a second day on Wednesday after a fire aboard a Japan Airlines aircraft earlier this week.

"The batteries were made by our company," a GS Yuasa spokesman told Reuters, adding that the cause of the fire was unclear, and whether or not the fire was sparked by the GS Yuasa-made batteries had not been determined.

"We are ready to send our crew for investigation when we get more details from the authorities," he said. The company said it provides auxiliary power unit batteries for the Dreamliner."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/09/boeing-japan-airlines-gsyuasa-idUSL4N0AE0LH20130109

[Blue_Tires]

8. more in-depth discussion:

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/5654962/1/#53

[Blue_Tires]

2. I preferred the new 747-8, anyway

No improving on perfection...

[valerief]

3. Quality Control is sooooo 20th century.

or not

[KeepItReal]

5. It sounds like the FAA is doing Boeing's QA work for them

eom

[valerief]

6. Yeah, because Boeing doesn't get *enough* U.S. tax dollars already to do proper QC.

Gotta pay those execs exorbitant salaries instead.

Boeing is # 2
http://www.businessinsider.com/top-25-us-defense-companies-2012-2?op=1

[Populist_Prole]

7. Plus how much money are they spending on that new scab 787 plant in SC?

They swear up and down that the new plant isn't to replace the Washington facilities.....

[Agschmid]

9. I was really excited about the potential for this plane...

I hope they can get through all these problems and make it work!

[Agschmid]

10. Good CNET article... quick review and some 787 history.

The Federal Aviation Administration today said it is opening a comprehensive review of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner following recent incidents that have raised questions about the innovative aircraft.

Earlier this week, for instance, firefighters had to put out a small blaze on a Japan Airlines 787 on the ground at Boston's Logan International Airport. The cause of the fire, which occurred with no passengers on the plane at the time, was traced back to a battery pack in an auxiliary power unit.

"This review will cover the critical systems of the aircraft, including design, manufacturing and assembly," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said at a press briefing this morning. "Through it we will look for the root causes of recent events and do everything we can to make sure these do not happen again."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57563540-76/boeing-787-incidents-prompt-faa-review/

[KT2000]

11. A tale for our times

Recently reread Vision, the story of the Boeing Co. From the early days (when my father was an engineer there) it became obvious why they had triple safety back-up on everything. They were thinking of things that never existed before and once made, the test pilots flew them. Some of those pilots' remains are still on the slopes of Mt. Rainier.
There was no mistaking the responsibility involved in manufacturing aircraft.

Jump forward to 2000 and the book Turbulence: Boeing and the State of American Workers and Managers
The time honored ethics that were the glue of the company were torn apart with new management techniques that were intended on getting more work out of fewer workers. Morale was low and the good engineers found employment elsewhere.

Outsourcing by cost left them with several failures in the 787 that had to be redone in the US.

To compete in the global market, I doubt there is a single manufacturer that has not accepted the risk of greater failure or less quality for less cost and greater profit.

This is the shareholder society that has taken over the consumer society. When it breaks, crashes or starts a fire - so what, you'll just end up buying another one - likely even more inferior in quality but it does boost shareholder value.

[Populist_Prole]

13. +1

I just didn't think that diease would infect aviation, US aviation. I don't know who the original author of the quip 'Safety first...unless it costs money" is, but I'll bet he's not chuckling now.

[Agschmid]

12. Just wondering what people think of the former 777 program leader... now Ford CEO.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Mulally

Any DU feedback on him? I've always like him but maybe I've missed something in his history. I think of him as one of the better CEO's in today's America.

[Blue_Tires]

15. Well the 777 has been damn near trouble-free 17 years after launch, so...

But sensationalism aside, this is a minor problem, they'll re-work and re-certify the batteries and wiring harness, and the 787 will survive just fine to a long service life...

[Kaleva]

14. kicked