11 November 2010
The arrival of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner faces yet another delay after a fire, the most serious incident since tests started, forced the company to ground all test flights. Boeing has stated that the fire that occurred on airplane ZA002 and caused the loss of primary electrical power.
The company has cancelled all scheduled test flights and said it was unsure how the incident investigation would impact delivery dates. The aircraft had 42 employees on board and was on approach to Laredo, Texas, when the incident happened. Boeing has postponed flight test activities on other airplanes, while ground test activities will be conducted until flight test resumes.
The Dreamliner made its maiden flight late last year but is still more than three years behind schedule. Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways is scheduled to be the first airline to take delivery of the Dreamliner in 2014.
Boeing has also insisted the incident had nothing to do with the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce engines, which have come under question recently due to engine leaks occurring on A380 aircraft.
http://www.abtn.co.uk/news/1114916-dreamliner-facing-more-delays