Boeing 787 ANA
The FAA has granted Boeing permission to begin test flights of its 787 Dreamliner to gather data and help determine the cause of recent lithium ion battery meltdowns.

FAA allows Boeing 787 Dreamliner test flights

February 7, 2013 @ 3:09 pm (Updated: 3:34 pm - 2/7/13 )

The FAA has granted Boeing permission to begin test flights of its 787 Dreamliner to gather data and help determine the cause of recent lithium ion battery meltdowns.

"The primary purpose of the test flights will be to collect data about the battery and electrical system performance while the aircraft is airborne," said the FAA in a statement.

Neither the FAA nor Boeing would give a timetable for the test flights. Company spokesman Marc Birtel said in an email the flight test activities would begin "soon." Birtel said Boeing's fifth flight test airplane would be used.

"The company has marshaled an extensive team of hundreds of experts and they are working around the clock focused on resolving the 787 battery issue and returning the 787 fleet to full flight status," Birtel said.

The test flights will be subject to a number of restrictions. Crews will be limited to only Boeing personnel "essential to the flight." Crews must conduct extensive pre-flight inspections and continuously monitor the batteries, landing immediately if any warning messages are signaled in the flight computer.

Related:

787 fire happened in way Boeing though impossible

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Comments (5)


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  • CH wrote...
    "The primary purpose of the test flights will be to collect data about the battery and electrical system performance while the aircraft is airborne"
    February 7, 2013 4:48 pm
    can't be done on the ground?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • fartforce1 wrote...
    CH, No, that's what they have been doing for the past two weeks.
    February 8, 2013 3:04 am
    The battery problems happened in the air, so they MUST fly to reproduce the effect. Understand?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ScoSher77 wrote...
    @fartforce
    February 8, 2013 6:05 pm
    CH probably doesn't quite understand the concept of in flight data yet, he may still be wet behind the ears. I mean, if you work on your car due to a mechanical issue, would you just leave it parked n sit there n rev it up or take it for a spin and see how it performs? Pretty self explanatory.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Drool wrote...
    CH
    February 8, 2013 7:24 am
    How do you collect data while the plane is airborne with it on the ground?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ScoSher77 wrote...
    just a thought
    February 8, 2013 5:58 pm
    If it were me, I would find out the Japanese mechanics that changed out the batteries and ask them to do it again and watch what and how they do it. Kinda seems odd that this has only happened on the planes from Japan. So if it were a major issue, wouldn't it happen on all the planes?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }