Fires in Boeing Dreamliner electrical compartment raise safety concerns

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/01/14/179837/fires-in-boeing-dreamliner-electrical.html



Fires in Boeing Dreamliner electrical compartment raise safety concerns
Posted on Monday, January 14, 2013
By Curtis Tate | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — While Boeing maintains that a fire in an electronics compartment of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner last week and another fire on a test flight in 2010 are not related, the plane’s fire-suppression system does not protect the site where both fires occurred.

The incidents have some aviation experts questioning assurances by company officials, the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that the plane is safe.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating last week’s fire, and the FAA is reviewing the plane’s electrical system and the inspection process that led to the plane’s certification in 2011. The Dreamliner relies on its electrical components more than any similar aircraft, and much of that system is supplied by UTC Aerospace.

The Charlotte, N.C., company also furnishes the plane’s fire detection and suppression system, which uses Halon 1301 gas to extinguish fires in cargo compartments, but not the one that contains key electrical systems.