Falling debris from 787 engine triggers runway fire, sparks new safety questions

Boeing, General Electric and US officials are
investigating after a fire was caused by debris that fell
from the engine of a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the
runway at Charleston International Airport.

The Post and
Courier of Charleston reports that debris from the
aircraft fell onto the runway and into the grass on
Saturday, sparking a blaze that closed the airport for
more than an hour.

In a statement, Boeing said “we are unaware of any
operational issue that would present concerns about the
continued safe operation of in-service 787s powered by GE
engines.”

Boeing spokeswoman Candy Eslinger says the aircraft was
undergoing preflight runway testing in North Charleston
when the incident occurred. Eslinger says the 787 was the
latest one built at the Boeing campus in North Charleston.

No one was injured in the incident and Eslinger says
production will not be affected.

“This is extremely unusual to have parts coming off an
engine, particularly a brand new engine,” says CBS
News aviation and transportation safety analyst Mark
Rosenker.

The airport was closed for more than an hour. The National
Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

The incident comes on the heels of the temporary grounding
of Rolls Royce-powered 787 Dreamliners by Japanese airline
ANA, which found a problem. It prompted 5 of 11 jets to be
grounded briefly for inspection and repairs.

While the latest incident is raising questions, analysts
say there shouldn’t be overwhelming concern.

“This is a new generation aircraft. You’re going to have
to figure it out as you go along. Unfortunately, you’d
like to have that done before they fly,” said Peter
Greenberg, CBS News travel editor and host of the Travel
Today podcast on KIRORadio.com

Greenberg predicts the NTSB will take between three months
and
a year to systematically review the incident and make any
recommendations for changes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.