Boeing 787 fleet remains grounded

Neelam Mathews

Feb 8, 2013

At a press conference held yesterday NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman said the cause of the short circuit was yet to be found, but they were looking at several possibilities. NTSB will release an interim report within 30 days. That means the fleet most likely will remain grounded at least another month.

Boeing is working on several possible fixes to the issue, including designs that will better protect the electrical bays and aircraft from any potential fire damage. In a statement released after the NTSB press conference, Boeing said it welcomes the progress being made in the investigation. The company also said it worked within FAA guidelines during certification.

The FAA, meanwhile announced they will allow limited test flights by Boeing to collect data about the battery and electrical systems during flight. The test flights will be flown over unpopulated areas with just the Boeing crew on board the aircraft. ational Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chairman Deborah Hersman said assumptions made by Boeing and FAA to justify certifying 787 batteries “must be reconsidered.”

“We need to understand what tests were done and who was certifying those tests... We’re gathering a lot of records of what was done six years ago.We do have a long road ahead of us... “One of the challenges in a fire investigation is often the best evidence is consumed in the fire.”