Dreamliner all over the news here in the UK

[RickK]

Everyday has a new story about something wrong - any good news Jessie?

[gran398]

Today:

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013 ... japan?lite

[dburr]

Today:

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013 ... japan?lite

On the positive side, all safety systems worked as advertised and the passengers got to go on a really big slide. The kids most have thought it was cool!

[wingtime]

Smoke or fire in the cockpit is a pilots worst nightmare....  The 787 is a new very complex piece of machinery and like anything else it will have some minor growing pains.  The UK is all over it since it is kicking Airbus butt!

[seabob4]

Been reading quite a bit about it.  My opinion is that if it hadn't been so eagerly anticipated, and all the fanfare and hoopla that goes along with that, the issues it has had so far wouldn't be quite the "news makers" that they are...

Bruce brought up a good point in regards to Airbus...

I don't think Jesse visits us anymore... :(

[icemanbryan]

I leave at 530 am tomorrow to HI.
My Dads 81 st Bday.
Hope it is an Airbus

[seabob4]

Now Bryan...

[MarshMarlowe196]

So far, these are the problems that have been discovered on the in-service Dreamliners:  Leaky fuel lines, Battery fires in the Aft Electrical Bay, a cracked cockpit windshield, and an incorrectly installed wire harness in the Aft EE bay.  All the Dreamliners that are having these issues were assembled and inspected by our Union brethren in Everett Washington, except for one of our SC built LN46 which had leaky fuel lines only, which has since been addressed to the satisfaction of the FAA.

 

Understandably, the FAA has decided to conduct a full investigation of the Assembly process of the Dreamliner.  In addition to this, the Japanese equivalent of the FAA has not only decided to do their own thorough investigation of the Dreamliner, they’re also planning on investigating the FAA, namely their new plane certification process.

 

ANA and JAL announced today that it is grounding its fleet of 787’s after an emergency landing due to yet another smoke/fire issue with the batteries in the AFT EE Bay.  A total of 24 in service Dreamliners.  No bueno.  Boeing continues to claim that these are merely “teething” issues associated with the introduction of any new Aircraft, comparing these issues to those of the highly successful 777 upon its entry into service.  Still, this doesn’t bode well and certainly doesn’t give the flying public a warm fuzzy feeling about the Dreamliner… unless you happen to be seated above the smoldering batteries.  Really - There are so many redundant safety and flight control systems in place on the 787, that the entire Aft EE Bay could melt and the plane would still fly at full operational capacity… so all you Florida guys don’t need to worry about there being another ValuJet crater in your backyard and wildlife refuges.

 

Word around the plant is that these batteries are inherently flawed.  Boeing does not manufacture these batteries, they are a vendor item, and are not used exclusively on the Dreamliner.  Other aircraft using these same batteries have also had some problems, but no fire just yet.  The Dreamliner really is an all new airplane, the amount of electrical energy and hydraulic pressure in use on the Dreamliner more than doubles that of any other plane in service, so engineers are speculating that this high use of electricity is related to the failure of the batteries.  We wont know for sure until the investigation is complete.  I really believe all this will be sussed out, and the Dreamliner will again be touted as the Starship Enterprise of commercial airplanes. 

 

This was the official response emailed to all of us by the CEO:

 

You will likely get many questions from your friends and family and even those in the community about this activity. Feel free to share the below information with those who ask.
 
·         We are confident in the design and performance of the 787. It is a safe and efficient airplane that brings tremendous value to our customers and an improved flying experience to their passengers.
 
·         The airplane has logged 50,000 hours of flight and there are more than 150 flights occurring daily. Its in-service performance is on par with the industry's best-ever introduction into service – the Boeing 777. Like the 777, at 15 months of service, we are seeing the 787's fleet wide dispatch reliability well above 90 percent.
 
·         More than a year ago, the 787 completed the most robust and rigorous certification process in the history of the FAA. We remain fully confident in the airplane's design and production system.
 
·         Regular reviews of program and technical progress are an important part of the validation and oversight process that has created today's safe and efficient air transportation system. While the 787's reliability is on par with the best in class, we have experienced in-service issues in recent months and we are never satisfied while there is room for improvement. For that reason, today we jointly announced with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the start of a review of the 787's recent issues and critical systems.
 
·         We welcome the opportunity to conduct this joint review. Our standard practice calls on us to apply rigorous and ongoing validation of our tools, processes and systems so that we can always be ensured that our products bring the highest levels of safety and reliability to our customers.
 
·         Just as we are confident in the airplane, we are equally confident in the regulatory process that has been applied to the 787 since its design inception. With this airplane, the FAA conducted its most robust certification process ever. We expect that this review will complement that effort.
 
Here at BSC I’d like to ask that you continue your focus on production and performing at your best each and every day so we consistently meet the high expectations of our airline customers and the flying public.
 
Jack  
 

[seabob4]

Excellent Jess!!!  And great to hear from you!!  Don't be a stranger!

And sorry for pissing off your Dad sometimes.  You know I mean well...but you also know I'll speak my mind...  

[seabob4]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/ ... N820130117

Ouch...

[MarshMarlowe196]

And sorry for pissing off your Dad sometimes.  You know I mean well...but you also know I'll speak my mind...  

No worries, pops is a very difficult man to piss off.  Through persistence, I've pissed him off a few times as a teenager, and I was then shown a powerful life changing force I didn't know existed.  He wasn't upset with you, and he enjoys a good debate, and the more heated the better.  Besides, that kind controversy can be a good thing for a forum - everyone loves to read the juicy stuff.

As far as the Dreamliners being grounded worldwide, though its definitely something Boeing hoped wouldn't happen, it's still normal for a new aircraft.  Read up on Airbus's recent introduction of the A380.  There were a few grounding orders issued for that airplane due to structural issues.  The Dreamliner is still par for the course.

[seabob4]

Well I've been kinda quiet as of late...