Significant Boeing 787 Events

The following events are significant incidents involving the 787. Below those events are a variety of resources, including a video discussing the grounding of the 787 subsequent to a pair of battery fires, as well as information from Boeing, NTSB, and other sources about the batteries and the battery fire investigations.

1. 7 January 2013; JAL 787; Boston, MA: Prior to a scheduled flight from Boston to Tokyo, a maintenance and cleaning personnel noted that the auxiliary power unit (APU) disconnected and smoke began to enter the cabin and cockpit. Shortly afterward, smoke was coming from the aft electronics bay. Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) responded and confirmed the smoke was coming from the APU battery. One firefighter sustained minor injuries. Because this did not result in a passenger death, this does not constitute a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com or an accident as defined by the NTSB. Although this was considered an incident rather than an accident by the NTSB, because of the circumstances of the event, the NTSB is conducting a major investigation to determine the causes of the fire.

2. 16 January 2013; ANA 787; en route from Ube to Tokyo, Japan: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Ube to Tokyo's Haneda airport when smoke was detected in the aircraft. The crew diverted to Takamatsu, where after landing the crew initiated an emergency evacuation. One passenger was taken to the hospital and later released. The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), in conjunction with the NTSB, is conducting an investigation into the cause of the battery fire.

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   Webinar on 787 battery fire investigation

   Dr. Todd Curtis of AirSafe.com hosted a 14 February 2013 webinar discussed the January 2013 grounding of the entire 787 fleet after two serious fires on a JAL and ANA 787 involving lithium ion batteries. Dr. Curtis summarized the status of the investigations by the NTSB and JTSB, and explains the process that Boeing and the airlines will go through in order to return the aircraft to service. Watch the 14 February 2013 webinar below, or on YouTube

   For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

AirSafeNews.com Articles about the 787
Should passengers fear the 787? - 18 January 2013
FAA orders comprehensive review - 11 January 2013
What's wrong with the 787? - 9 January 2013

Battery fire investigation resources
NTSB battery fire investigation
JTSB battery fire links
Boeing 787 battery updates site
Other Boeing statements about the 787

Related Pages
Wikipedia entry for 787
NTSB accident database
Definitions of Key Terms Used by AirSafe.com
Fatal accidents and other fatal events by aircraft model
Fatal Event Rates by Model

Events involving other Boeing Aircraft

717, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777