|

Updated Boeing Statement on 787 Dreamliner ZA002 Incident

EVERETT, Wash., Nov. 11, 2010 Boeing continues to investigate Monday’s incident on ZA002. We have determined that a failure in the P100 panel led to a fire involving an insulation blanket. The insulation self-extinguished once the fault in the P100 panel cleared. The P100 panel on ZA002 has been removed and a replacement unit is being shipped to Laredo. The insulation material near the unit also has been removed.

Damage to the ZA002 P100 panel is significant. Initial inspections, however, do not show extensive damage to the surrounding structure or other systems. We have not completed our inspections of that area of the airplane.

The P100 panel is one of several power panels in the aft electronics bay. It receives power from the left engine and distributes it to an array of systems. In the event of a failure of the P100 panel, backup power sources – including power from the right engine, the Ram Air Turbine, the auxiliary power unit or the battery – are designed to automatically engage to ensure that those systems needed for continued safe operation of the airplane are powered.

The backup systems engaged during the incident and the crew retained positive control of the airplane at all times and had the information it needed to perform a safe landing.

Molten metal has been observed near the P100 panel, which is not unexpected in the presence of high heat. The presence of this material does not reveal anything meaningful to the investigation.

Inspection of the surrounding area will take several days and is ongoing. It is too early to determine if there is significant damage to any structure or adjacent systems.

As part of our investigation, we will conduct a detailed inspection of the panel and insulation material to determine if they enhance our understanding of the incident.

We continue to evaluate data to understand this incident. At the same time, we are working through a repair plan. In addition, we are determining the appropriate steps required to return the rest of the flight test fleet to flying status.

Boeing will continue to provide updates as new understanding is gained.

To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.

Similar Posts

  • |

    Boeing Initiates Changes to 787 Power Panel, Updates to Software

    EVERETT, Wash., Nov. 24, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) is developing minor design changes to power distribution panels on the 787 and updates to the systems software that manages and protects power distribution on the airplane. These changes come as the result of what has been learned from the investigation of an onboard electrical fire on a test airplane, ZA002, earlier this month in Laredo, Texas.

    “We have successfully simulated key aspects of the onboard event in our laboratory and are moving forward with developing design fixes,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “Boeing is developing a plan to enable a return to 787 flight test activities and will present it to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as soon as it is complete.”

    Engineers have determined that the fault began as either a short circuit or an electrical arc in the P100 power distribution panel, most likely caused by the presence of foreign debris. The design changes will improve the protection within the panel. Software changes also will be implemented to further improve fault protection.

    The P100 panel is one of five major power distribution panels on the 787. It receives power from the left engine and distributes it to an array of systems.

    The 787 team is now assessing the time required to complete the design changes and software updates that are being developed. A revised 787 program schedule is expected to be finalized in the next few weeks.

    “Our team is focused on developing these changes and moving forward with the flight test program,” said Fancher. “The team in Laredo is also well along in preparing to return ZA002 to Seattle.”

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements in this report may be “forward-looking” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “targets,” “anticipates,” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions about future events that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statements speak to events only as of the date they are made and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by federal securities laws. Specific factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding our guidance relating to future financial and operating performance, the effect of economic conditions in the United States and globally, and general industry conditions as they may impact us or our customers, as well as the other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | | | | |

    Air Peace Flight Returns to Port Harcourt, Nigeria after Smoke Indication

    air peaceAir Peace flight 4P-7191 had to return and make an emergency landing at Port Harcourt International Airport in Nigeria, on March 12th.

    The plane took off for Lagos, Nigeria, but had to return shortly afterwards due to a smoke detector indication.

    The Boeing 737-500 plane landed safely. No injuries were reported.

    The airline said the smoke indication turned out to be false.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | | | | | | |

    Mauritania: Engine Fire, Emergency Landing


    Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
    Contact photographer Javier Bravo Muñoz

    What: BMI/Astraeus Boeing 757-200 en route from Freetown Sierra Leone to London
    Where: Nouakchott Mauritania
    When: Aug 25 2010
    Who: 110 aboard
    Why: While en route the plane developed engine problems. One account says the pilot saw an engine on fire and contacted ATC for immediate clearance for an emergency landing.

    The official report says that the plane was experiencing engine surges.

    What matters is that the plane landed safely, with no casualties. A replacement plane was flown in.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | |

    FAA Airworthiness Directive Regarding Boeing 787-8

    All Boeing 787 Dreamliners currently in service are being required to confirm that fuel line connectors have been properly installed. Fuel leaks in Dreamliners were traced to a manufacturing flaw at Boeing plants.

    The FAA said “A safety order mandated inspection of fuel line couplings in the engine pylons to verify the couplings are correctly assembled and installed”

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • | | | |

    PIA Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Karachi

    Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-3011 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Karachi, Pakistan, on August 28th.

    The Boeing 777-200 plane heading from Islamabad, Pakistan, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was diverted due to an engine issue.

    The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.
  • |

    Press Release-A400M, world’s most advanced airlifter, completes first flight

    11 December 2009The first Airbus Military A400M military airlifter has landed back in Seville, Spain today at 14:02 local time (13:02 UTC) after completing a successful maiden flight lasting 3h 47min following its take-off at 10:15 local time.

    Chief Test Pilot Military, Edward “Ed” Strongman, captained the flight supported by Experimental Test Pilot Ignacio “Nacho” Lombo. The engineering team on board included: Senior Flight Test Engineer Jean-Philippe Cottet who had responsibility for the powerplants; Senior Flight Test Engineer Eric Isorce with responsibility for the aircraft systems and performance; Senior Flight Test Engineer Didier Ronceray with responsibility for the handling qualities of the aircraft; and Test Flight Engineer Gerard Leskerpit.

    The crew confirmed that the aircraft, known as MSN 1 and its four Europrop International TP400D turboprop engines performed as expected.

    Ed Strongman said: “We have had a very successful first flight – the take-off performance was impressive, we explored a lot of the operational flight envelope, and it was a delight to operate in such a well-designed cockpit with its easy interface to all the normal and military systems. I’m sure our customer pilots are really going to like it – we certainly did.”

    Nacho Lombo added: “From the very beginning of the flight we were impressed by the ease of handling of the aircraft which was in line with what we experienced in the simulator. The aircraft, systems and engine performance were highly satisfactory. We sense the great potential of this magnificent machine. It has been an honour for all the crew to fly the A400M on its maiden flight, representing all the people involved in the programme.”

    Chief Executive Officer Airbus Military, Domingo Urena-Raso, said: “I would like to congratulate Ed Strongman, Nacho Lombo and all of the flight-test team for completing the first flight of the A400M with great success. I am also deeply grateful to everyone in the design, manufacturing and early operations of this programme for their enormously hard work and dedication that have made this aircraft a reality. And I want to thank all those people in our industrial partners and suppliers, as well as our customers, who have contributed so much to the definition and creation of an outstanding product.”

    Airbus CEO Tom Enders said: “I hope we can soon provide certainty that we are able to continue the A400M programme. This is expected by those at Airbus, our partners and suppliers worldwide who contributed so strongly to today’s success as well as by the air forces who wait for their plane.”

    For its first flight the aircraft took off at a weight of 127 tonnes, carrying 15 tonnes of test equipment including two tonnes of water ballast, compared with its maximum take-off weight of 141 tonnes. As planned, the six-man crew extensively explored the aircraft’s flight envelope in direct law, including a wide speed-range, and tested lowering and raising of the landing gear and high-lift devices at altitude. After checking the aircraft’s performance in the landing configuration the crew landed back at Seville.

    In the first half of 2010 MSN 1 will be joined by two sister aircraft, MSN 2 and MSN 3, followed by MSN 4 by the end of the year. A fifth aircraft will join the programme during 2011. This fleet will be used for some 3,700 hours of test-flying between now and first delivery to the French Air Force at the end of 2012. This will be followed by additional military development flying. The type will be certificated by both the civil and military authorities.

    A total of 184 aircraft have so far been ordered by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom,

    Airbus Military

    Airbus Military is the only military and civil transport aircraft manufacturer to develop, produce, sell and support a comprehensive family of airlifters ranging from three to 37 tonnes of payload. Within Airbus, Airbus Military is responsible for the A400M programme, as well as for military tanker transport derivatives based on Airbus civil aircraft, with the integration of the state-of-the-art flight-refuelling boom (ARBS) which is unique in its class. With the C-295, CN-235 and C-212, Airbus Military is the global leader in the market segments for light and medium-sized military transport aircraft. Altogether Airbus Military has sold more than 1,000 aircraft with over 650 flying with more than 100 operators worldwide.

    To include the featured image in your Twitter Card, please tap or click their icon a second time.