Boeing 787 Dreamliner Once Again Grounded, Possible Battery Fire

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Boeing 787 Dreamliner Once Again Grounded, Possible Battery Fire

By Mike Mitchell

January 15, 2014 - Japan Airlines (JAL) has once again grounded one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft due to smoke coming from the main battery area of the aircraft.

On Tuesday during a routine maintenance check white smoke could be seen outside the plane as warning lights in the cockpit indicated problems with the main battery.

Boeing has reported it is aware of the situation and believes that a single battery cell had released gases, and that the warning system had operated as required. Boeing officials reported they are working with JAL to correct the problem. No passengers were on the aircraft at the time of the incident.

Battery problems continue to plague the 787 Dreamliner. Back in January 2013, launch customer for the Dreamliner, All Nippon Airways, Flight NH-692, had departed from Yamaguchi Ube Airport, Japan for Tokyo International Airport. Enroute a battery had caught fire and the aircraft was diverted to Takamatsu.

Just after this incident a JAL 787 Dreamliner parked at Boston's Logan International Airport experienced a similar problem resulting in the FAA had issuing an emergency airworthiness directive ordering all U.S. based airlines ground their Boeing 787’s to address a potential battery fire risk from its lithium-ion batteries.

At that time the FAA also launched a review of the design, manufacture and assembly of the 787. EASA, Japanese Transport Ministry, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Chile's Dirección General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC) all followed suit and grounded the 787 Dreamliners.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the company's most fuel efficient long range, midsize widebody, twin engine jet airliner constructed primarily of composite materials (See GAO Raises Safety Concerns over use of composite materials). The 787 is 20 percent more fuel efficient than the 767 and depending on the aircrafts seating configuration can seat between 210 to 330 passengers.

The 787 has suffered from several in service problems, notably fires onboard relating to its lithium-ion batteries and fuel leaks. However, the aircraft has also encountered issues relating to its wiring, lithium-manganese dioxide batteries powering the aircrafts emergency locator transmitter (ELT), aircraft fire extinguisher, missing low pressure fuel filters, faulty self-identification system, issues with its flaps, cracked window, engine icing, etc.

Boeing CEO James McNerney stated back in December 2012 “We’re having what we would consider the normal number of squawks on a new airplane, consistent with other new airplanes we’ve introduced.” In April 2013 the FAA rescinded the emergency airworthiness directive on the 787 upon Boeing putting a number of safety measures in place. However, to date it is unclear to the extent Boeing has solved the issues surrounding its batteries. There are currently 115 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in service operated by 16 airlines.