FAA Sets Safety Review of Boeing 787 Dreamliner

US regulators announced an in-depth safety review of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner after a recent spate of incidents involving the new high-tech aircraft.

Published

5 months ago

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Technology

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Ray Lahood, Ray Conner

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United States of America, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C.

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Boeing

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boeing 787 dreamliner

Transcript

SHOTLIST : WASHINGTON, JANUARY 11, 2013 SOURCE : CBS **RESTRICTIONS:** NO RESALE for non-editorial purposes No Japan No Free over the air broadcasters in Australia No US cable news outlets, free over the air networks or stations, their websites and their mobile phone services SOUNDBITE 1 Ray LaHood (man) Transportation secretary (English, 18 sec) : "We are concerned about recent events involving Boeing's 787. That's why today we are announcing that we are conducting a comprehensive review of the design and production of the Boeing 787." SOUNDBITE 2 Ray Conner (man) Head of Commercial Airplanes, Boeing (English, 14 sec) : "Since entering service, we've logged more than 55,000 hours of flights and safely delivered more than 1 million passengers to their destinations. More than 150 Dreamliner flights take place every single day." SOUNDBITE 3 Ray Conner (man) Head of Commercial Airplanes, Boeing (English, 8 sec) : "We have complete confidence in the 787 and so do our customers, as so many of you have heard in recent days." BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JANUARY 8, 2013 SOURCE: CBS RESTRICTIONS: **NO RESALE for non-editorial purposes** No Japan No Free over the air broadcasters in Australia No US cable news outlets, free over the air networks or stations, their websites and their mobile phone services - zoom in on beleaguered JAL 787 on runway BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JANUARY 7, 2013 SOURCE: CBS RESTRICTIONS: **NO RESALE for non-editorial purposes** No Japan No Free over the air broadcasters in Australia No US cable news outlets, free over the air networks or stations, their websites and their mobile phone services -MS aerial fire fighters climbing towards the plane after fire UNKNOWN LOCATION, JUNE, 2011 SOURCE: BOEING **NO RESALE for non-editorial purposes** - VAR of the 787 in the air ----------- AFP TEXT STORY: US-aerospace-regulate-aviation-incident-company-Boeing,lead FAA sets safety review of Boeing 787 Dreamliner by Veronica Smith =(GRAPHIC+FILE PICTURE)= ATTENTION - RECASTS, UPDATES with news conference, statements, analyst comment /// WASHINGTON, Jan 11, 2013 (AFP) - US regulators announced Friday an in-depth safety review of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner after a recent spate of incidents involving the new high-tech aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was working with Boeing to fully review the critical systems of the 787, which entered service in October 2011 after earning FAA accreditation. An unusually high number of safety incidents this week is the latest problem to dog Boeing's newest airplane, after production glitches delayed delivery of the first plane to All Nippon Airways by three years. ANA and Japan Airlines have reported five problems with the Dreamliner since Monday, including a fire in an unoccupied stationary aircraft, a fuel leak from one taxiing in Boston, and a cracked cockpit windshield that grounded one flight in Japan. "There are concerns about recent events involving the Boeing 787. That's why today we are announcing that we are conducting a comprehensive review of the design and production of the 787," US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told a news conference. Considered a milestone in aviation industry with its use of composite materials and electronics instead of aluminum and hydraulics, 50 of the US aerospace giant's 787s are in service worldwide. But questions about its safety, and now a government review, have the potential to impact Boeing sales. Boeing insisted its aircraft are safe. "We have complete confidence in the 787," Boeing Commercial Airplanes president Ray Conner said at the news conference called by the FAA to announce the review. Shares in Dow member Boeing tumbled 2.6 percent to $75.11 in late-morning trade in New York. FAA chief Michael Huerta said the review will cover the design, manufacture and assembly of the 787, with an emphasis on the aircraft's electrical systems, including batteries and power display panels. Experts also will review the certification process and Boeing's implementation of the standards in the certification process, he said. "What we are seeing are issues of bringing any new technologically advanced product into service," Huerta said. "We want to address all of those issues to ensure that people can feel confident flying this airplane," he said, adding: "We believe this is a safe aircraft." An FAA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the "whole focus" of the review was to look at all of the aircraft's critical systems to validate the work the agency conducted during the certification process. "The FAA is doing the right thing. While it may be difficult for Boeing and its customers up-front, doing the review is necessary for long-term reassurance that the certification system works," said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst at Teal Group. Aboulafia noted the frequency of incidents was much greater than normal, and reflected the plane's advanced technologies. "It also reflects a manufacturing system that may have been pushed too hard and too fast," he added. The newest reports are not the only ones of problems with the 787. Last July test engine trouble was the subject of a probe by the US National Transportation Safety Board. The same month ANA said it was grounding five Dreamliners for repairs because of a defect in the Rolls-Royce engine. In February, Boeing said around 55 Dreamliners were at risk of developing a fuselage problem. Conner said the aircraft had completed the "most robust certification process ever in the world." Conner said that the 787 has booked more than 50,000 hours of flight, carried more than one million passengers and makes over 150 flights daily. He dismissed speculation that the problems could have caused by Boeing's ground-breaking choice to assemble the plane using parts outsourced to companies around the world. "These are not an issue of the outsourcing," Conner said. "It's unfortunate our customers are dealing with this. We feel badly about that," Conner said. vs-ved/pmh