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Contact photographer Ivan Kresanek
What: British Airways Boeing 757-200 en route from Barcelona to London
Where: Barcelona
When: Feb 18th 2010
Who: not available
Why: After takeoff, the crew noticed an odor in the cockpit. Oxygen masks were deployed, and the plane returned to Barcelona. The flight was cancelled. No injuries were reported and there was no further notice regarding what the odor actually was.
What: Southwest Airways Boeing 737 en route from San Francisco to Denver
Where: Oakland
When: August 28, 2012 7:48 a.m.
Who: 143 passengers
Why: The flight made an emergency landing at Oakland due to cabin pressurization problems. Fire and rescue crews were on standby.
Passengers were provided another flight which arrived in Denver two hours late.
SriLankan Airlines flight UL-166 made an emergency landing in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 30th.
The Airbus A330-200 plane flying from Kochi, India, declared an emergency after smoke was noticed emanating from a bag carrying a Lithium Ion battery and two mobile phones.
The crew discharged fire extinguishers into the bag while the plane continued for a safe landing.
All two hundred and two people aboard remained unharmed.
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Contact Photographer Roger Oldfield
What: PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A310-300 en route from Quetta to Karachi
Where: Pakistan
When: Jun 28th 2009 2:15 pm
Who: 166 passengers 12 crew
Why: While still over Quetta, the cockpit filled with smoke. One source reports the fire apparently reportedly began in the AC system. (again.) Another says an electrical problem sparked a small fire in the cockpit.
In any case, the crew requested an emergency landing, and landed safely. No injuries were reported. The passengers resumed their flight 3 hours later.
An upgrade to the battery has been reported, and Boeing is adding a fire-resistant battery box to contain the cells, and insulation around that. The box is to vent smoke outside, and will be made of titanium.
Boeing is still planning on using lithium-ion cells instead of switching to nickel cadmium. The batteries face a series of twenty lab tests before test flights will be permitted.
The two approved test flights include one for the new battery, and one for the new box.
Each Dreamliner has one lithium-ion battery to power cockpit systems, and one to power on-ground functions that used to be hydraulic.
The FAA statement is below:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today approved the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company’s certification plan for the redesigned 787 battery system, after thoroughly reviewing Boeing’s proposed modifications and the company’s plan to demonstrate that the system will meet FAA requirements. The certification plan is the first step in the process to evaluate the 787’s return to flight and requires Boeing to conduct extensive testing and analysis to demonstrate compliance with the applicable safety regulations and special conditions.
“This comprehensive series of tests will show us whether the proposed battery improvements will work as designed,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We won’t allow the plane to return to service unless we’re satisfied that the new design ensures the safety of the aircraft and its passengers.”
The battery system improvements include a redesign of the internal battery components to minimize initiation of a short circuit within the battery, better insulation of the cells and the addition of a new containment and venting system.
“We are confident the plan we approved today includes all the right elements to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the battery system redesign,” said FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta. “Today’s announcement starts a testing process which will demonstrate whether the proposed fix will work as designed.”
The certification plan requires a series of tests which must be passed before the 787 could return to service. The plan establishes specific pass/fail criteria, defines the parameters that should be measured, prescribes the test methodology and specifies the test setup and design. FAA engineers will be present for the testing and will be closely involved in all aspects of the process.
The FAA also has approved limited test flights for two aircraft. These aircraft will have the prototype versions of the new containment system installed. The purpose of the flight tests will be to validate the aircraft instrumentation for the battery and battery enclosure testing in addition to product improvements for other systems.
The FAA will approve the redesign only if the company successfully completes all required tests and analysis to demonstrate the new design complies with FAA requirements. The FAA’s January 16, 2013 airworthiness directive, which required operators to temporarily cease 787 operations, is still in effect, and the FAA is continuing its comprehensive review of the 787 design, production and manufacturing process.
US Airways flight 723 had to return and make an emergency landing at Dublin Airport, Ireland, on February 26.
The plane took off for Philadelphia at 11:15 a.m. but had to return shortly afterwards due to an issue with its flaps.
The Boeing 757 landed back uneventfully.
There were 132 people aboard at the time; all of them remained unharmed.
British Airways flight BA-4454 had to make an emergency landing at London City Airport, England, on February 17th.
The plane flying from Rotterdam, Netherlands, was descending toward London City Airport when the crew reported smell of smoke on-board and declared an emergency.
The plane continued for a safe landing. Everyone aboard remained unharmed.
