In an rare move - as a result of an in-flight, Boeing 787 battery fire in Japan - the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will issue an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) to address a potential battery fire risk in the 787 "Dreamliner"and require operators to temporarily cease operations. Before further flight, operators of U.S.-registered, Boeing 787 aircraft must demonstrate to the FAA that the batteries are safe.
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The FAA said it will work with the manufacturer and carriers to develop a corrective action plan to allow the U.S. 787 fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.
The in-flight Japanese battery fire on Jan.16 followed an earlier 787 battery fire that occurred on the ground in Boston on January 7, 2013. The AD is prompted by this second fire involving a lithium ion battery, the FAA said.
The battery failures resulted in release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke on two Model 787 airplanes, FAA said. "The root cause of these failures is currently under investigation. These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical compartment," FAA said.
Last Friday, the FAA announced a comprehensive review of the 787’s critical systems with the possibility of further action pending new data and information. In addition to the continuing review of the aircraft’s design, manufacture and assembly, the agency also said it will validate that 787 batteries and the battery system on the aircraft are in compliance with the special condition the agency issued as part of the aircraft’s certification.
United Airlines is currently the only U.S. airline operating the 787, with six airplanes in service, the FAA noted. When the FAA issues an airworthiness directive, it also alerts the international aviation community to the action so other civil aviation authorities can take parallel action to cover the fleets operating in their own countries, the agony said.
Two airlines, Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways, have already announced grounding of their 787 aircraft. The two carriers have a reported 24 of 50 Boeing 787's in service. United has six 787's in its fleet.
Visit www.FAA.gov