Breaking news...another 787 makes an emergency landing and passengers evacuated after reports of smoke in the cabin....report with embedded video

 

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20130116_13.html

Photo released of the Dreamliner still in Boston after a fire in its batteries...photo comes from AP.

 

 

I wouldn't call this 'teething' problems any more but I am certain they will work past it. Remember Boeing is a partnership with many suppliers so this is when the Quality Department works with those suppliers to get past these issues. A very tough job to do.

 

I ignore the news reports because the behind the scenes is very different then what we read or hear about in the news.

 

Cheers

Looks like both ANA and JAL have taken the decision to ground the fleet

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0116/japanese-airlines-ground-787s-after-emergency.html

 

A costly decision. Hope they can get over this soon, it's giving quite the bad image to the public of what should be a great aircraft.

 

Regards,

Ró.

Japan may still be a bit cautious because of JAL Flight 123, even though that happened back in 1985, these sort of events to get embedded as part of a nations culture. In other words Japan wouldn't want another JAL Flight 123, and rightly so.

I hate to say this, but with so many incidents, this close together, some potentially serious if it occurred in the wrong realm of flight, I think it's time the aircraft is grounded, until they can get a handle on what is the root cause of the problem! It's beginning to look like more then teething problems at this point.

<br />It's beginning to look like more then teething problems at this point. <br />

 

I agree, That comment 'Teething Problems' was just a damage control initiative. This move goes beyond that at this point.

 

I think Boeing can move beyond this as most of these issues appear to be linked to suppliers of things like Batteries and Engines and not the airframe, some Boeing assembly have had responsibility with mistakes in wiring or fuel lines...etc and I am sure their manufacturing engineers have fixed those issues long before the news reports. Goes to show how a break in the chain can have such an effect on things.

 

Remember Boeing doesn't make Batteries, someone else does....Boeing has a Quality Department that approves those Batteries, but so many things are unknown in that process....Only so much you can do to tell another company what to do to fix it or put out another tender.

 

At this point there has not been issues with the airframe....and the 787 is revolutionary on that front.

 

Cheers

batteries bursting in flames, cracked windshields, engine troubles, it's going to take a LOT of work to get the 787 off the ground again. Maybe, eventually we will see them fly again but until they have a better track-record I know no airliners here in the states will be getting them.

batteries bursting in flames, cracked windshields, engine troubles, it's going to take a LOT of work to get the 787 off the ground again. Maybe, eventually we will see them fly again but until they have a better track-record I know no airliners here in the states will be getting them.

 

And we are yet to see what Air New Zealand does with their orders as they are the launch customer for the 787-9 (and have been more then patient in waiting).

 

All Air New Zealand needs now is delivery of the 787-9 that is not permitted for trans-ocean operations (until Boeing sorts problems), when those are the routes that ANZ want them for are over the oceans (we are an island nation just like Japan).

 

Or just give ANZ some more 777's at a discounted price instead (because Boeing already has in compensation for the delay) :rolleyes:

Well I certainly wouldn't feel happy or comfortable taking a 787 into ETOPS flight at the moment, a fire is probably the worst imaginable thing to happen on board an aircraft, no amount of airmanship or experience can save you.

 

I wouldn't be too fussed about the windshield or braking thing though, they seem like actual teething problems, two fires within one week and 3 fires in total does not however seem like a teething problem.

 

Regards,

Ró.

two fires within one week and 3 fires in total does not however seem like a teething problem.

 

Hi Ro,

 

You have to remember that even though I now live in New Zealand, I have only been for almost 2 years now,

 

My hometown is Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, My old house is on Morris Lake across from CFB Shearwater. When Swiss Air Flight 111 went down off the coast of Nova Scotia, that wreck was brought up and sent to Shearwater, from my front deck of my house I could see the wreckage of that aircraft with a broken heart at Shearwater. I wish no one ever has to see that kind of sight, and when you look at the cause of that one and what those pilots went through, I still have nightmares thinking about it, just seeing the wreckage (and I only saw a very small part of it) I wish to never see anything like that ever again.

 

Yes, better to ground a fleet then have a fire like that at cruising altitude over an ocean.

Hi Ro,

 

You have to remember that even though I now live in New Zealand, I have only been for almost 2 years now,

 

*snip*

I can imagine the distress you must have experienced, seeing an aircraft that just days earlier had been carrying 200 people through the air, now being dragged in pieces to a hangar, also that of the pilots.

 

There's nothing worse than being a passenger in your own aircraft, I've seen it happen before. I fire is an extremely serious matter, the fact that the ANA Captain elected to evacuate with slides just goes to show how seriously he took it this morning. Fire's on board are the stuff of nightmares, you can't just jump out like you could from a house, you're 20 mins at a minimum from an airport, and that's in a best case scenario. Over the Atlantic I'd not bear to think how much of a sitting duck one must feel like in a situation like that.

 

I'm not in the slightest bit surprised that ANA and JAL grounded their fleet, still wondering if QR, AI, LO and UA will ground theirs after these two fires within days of each other. It may cost a lot, but a crash like Swiss 111 would cost much much more to the airline than grounding a fleet for the number of weeks it takes to get it sorted.

 

Regards,

Ró.

A fire is an extremely serious matter

 

Yes my friend, I could not imagine a more worse situation up at a very high altitude in a pressurised tube, Reality is Aviation is the most safest form of transportation when they get it right, Reality of Flight 111 is they didn't get it right and there is a report....and yes of 787 has problems, get it right before it gets worse.

 

A fire at altitude is the worse imaginable nightmare.

Rumour has it that QR are about to announce the grounding of their fleet of Dreamliners.

 

Regards,

Ró.

LOT's first full transatlantic flight from Warsaw to Chicago with the 787 is today. According to the media here, the flight's gone ahead as scheduled - well, a bit late. A representative from LOT has stated that the problems that affected the Japanese aircraft were issues that had been corrected before LOT received their aircraft - which sounds a bit odd to me, but I'm neither an engineer or a pilot. Nor a PR rep for an airline ;-) Latest info from the Polish media here, but in Polish only and I'm too busy to translate the whole thing ;-) http://www.tvn24.pl/dreamliner-wystartowal-za-ocean-z-opoznieniem,300428,s.html