NEW YORK: On the same day one of its new Dreamliners made an emergency landing because of a mechanical problem, Boeing said US regulators had ordered the entire fleet of 787 jets to be inspected for a possible fuel line problem.
The twin mechanical issues, while not necessarily uncommon, were yet another headache for Boeing, a company still working to overcome the negative perception of production problems that delayed delivery of the 787 by 3-1/2 years.
Its latest problem involved a brand new United Airlines 787 Dreamliner with 184 people aboard, which was forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans due to an undefined mechanical issue. Boeing also said yesterday US Federal Aviation Administration was requiring inspections of all 787s in service to confirm that fuel line connectors had been properly installed.
The checks were recommended after two non-US carriers experienced fuel leaks. Boeing declined to name the carriers.
Japan’s All Nippon Airways, Boeing’s Dreamliner launch customer, said on Wednesday it had reported the leak to the FAA and Boeing. ANA spokesman Yoichi Uchida said the carrier found the fuel leak on October 23. He said the airline completed inspections of all 16 ANA Dreamliners on Sunday, and that the work did not interrupt scheduling.
Local rival Japan Airlines Co said they too had inspected their six 787s and that flights were unaffected by the checks. It said it had not found any fuel leaks prior to the inspections. Air India owns three Dreamliners.
Murdoch’s mother dies aged 103
melbourne: Rupert Murdoch’s mother, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, has died in Australia, aged 103. She died peacefully in her home at Cruden Farm, outside Melbourne in Victoria and is survived by three children and 77 direct descendants, including five great-great grandchildren.
She would have been 104 in January. Rupert Murdoch, 81, regards his mother’s long life as evidence that he will be able to carry on running News Corporation until an advanced age.
Agencies
