Two Boeing 787 Dreamliners to return to Seattle; Laredo investigation continues

Two Boeing 787 Dreamliners to return to Seattle; Laredo investigation continues

2010-11-16 23:11:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

EVERETT, WASHINGTON (BNO NEWS) -- While the investigation into the incident onboard 787 Dreamliner ZA002 continues, Boeing has established a plan to fly two other aircraft, ZA001 and ZA005, back to Seattle from Rapid City, South Dakota and Victorville, California, the company said on Tuesday.

According to Boeing, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has reviewed and approved the plans.

ZA001 was undergoing refueling in South Dakota when the incident on ZA002 occurred and the company decided to forgo additional flights. ZA005 was on remote deployment for testing in California.

The flights follow a series of inspections on the airplanes' aft electronics bays. No testing will be performed on the flights.

The team investigating the incident in Laredo has developed a detailed understanding of the ZA002 incident, though more work remains to complete the investigation.

The FAA on Friday said it has no plans to resume certification testing of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner aircraft until it fully understands what caused the incident.

The incident happened when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner test flight was evacuated after landing in Laredo, Texas due to smoke in the cockpit. All occupants were evacuated safely via the aircraft's emergency slides.

In addition to the information already released about the incident, data show that the total duration of the incident was less than 90 seconds and the fire lasted less than 30 seconds.

The team in Texas has completed inspection of ZA002 and has begun to prepare to install a new power panel and new insulation material. The team also is repairing minor structural damage that occurred during the event.

No decision has been reached on when flight testing of the 787 will resume.

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