Japan Airlines found smoke coming from Boeing 787 Dreamliner battery
Jan 14, 2014, 8:58 AM | Updated: 10:02 am
It was one year ago that smoke and fire problems with the lithium-ion battery system prompted airlines and regulators worldwide to ground Boeing's Dreamliner fleet.
Japan Airlines reports a new problem with a battery on board a Boeing 787.
A maintenance crew found smoke as well as an unidentified liquid coming from the main battery of a 787 at Narita Airport in Tokyo.
Reuters reports the problem was discovered two hours before take-off for Bangkok.
Boeing says it appears the smoke involved the venting of a single battery cell and happened during scheduled maintenance activities.
Boeing released a statement following the incident:
We are aware of the 787 issue that occurred Tuesday afternoon at Narita, which appears to have involved the venting of a single battery cell. The issue occurred during scheduled maintenance activities with no passengers on board. The improvements made to the 787 battery system last year appear to have worked as designed. We sincerely regret any impact caused to Japan Airlines and are working with them to return this airplane to service.
The exact cause of the smoke is not known. Japan Airlines said no other equipment was affected by the smoke problem, according to Reuters.
It was one year ago that smoke and fire problems with the lithium-ion battery system prompted airlines and regulators worldwide to ground Boeing’s Dreamliner fleet.
