The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order late Wednesday telling U.S. airlines to stop flying Boeing 787 Dreamliners until they can prove that batteries on board are safe.
It's a major blow for Boeing and its sophisticated new jetliner that's made largely from lightweight carbon composite material, which allows airlines.to save on fuel and which passengers like for its airy cabins.
The action came the same day a smoldering battery forced the emergency landing in Japan of an All Nippon Airways plane. That incident followed a fire Jan. 7 aboard an empty Japan Airlines 787 at Boston's Logan airport.
The 787 relies on electricity more than other planes, so the problems with its power system go to the heart of the plane's design.
"Before further flight, operators of U.S.-registered, Boeing 787 aircraft must demonstrate to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the batteries are safe," the FAA said in a statement.
"The FAA 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."
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and their counterparts in Japan are studying both incidents to figure out what went wrong. They haven't said how long that will take.
17/01/13 Bart Jansen/USA Today
