The US Federal Aviation Administration has granted Boeing permission to conduct test flights of its B787 Dreamliner aircraft, as part of ongoing investigations into incidents involving onboard lithium-ion batteries.
All 50 Dreamliners currently in commercial operation were grounded last month, following a series of incidents including an apparent fuel leak and an electrical fire on separate B787 aircraft operated by Japan Airlines, as well as a cracked cockpit window and concerns regarding the brakes on ANA Dreamliners.
Concerns that the electrical fire was caused by onboard lithium-ion batteries led to the FAA ordering all Dreamliner aircraft to be grounded, a directive endorsed by the European Aviation Safety Agency.
The FAA released the following statement yesterday (February 7):
“As part of our ongoing efforts to determine the root cause of recent Boeing 787 lithium-ion battery incidents, the FAA will permit Boeing to conduct test flights of 787 aircraft to gather additional data. The traveling public’s safety is our highest priority. These test flights will be an important part of our efforts to ensure the safety of passengers and return these aircraft to service.
“Test flights are commonly used as part of research and development. In this case, the primary purpose of the test flights will be to collect data about the battery and electrical system performance while the aircraft is airborne.
“As with all test flights, these will be subject to a number of restrictions, including extensive pre-flight testing and inspections and in-flight monitoring in order to ensure the highest levels of safety. The flights will be conducted in defined airspace over unpopulated areas.”
In addition to the administration’s analysis of the “root cause” of recent incidents, the FAA says it is “conducting a comprehensive review of the 787’s critical systems, including the aircraft’s design, manufacture and assembly”.
For more information visit boeing.com, faa.gov.
Report by Mark Caswell
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