Fuel Leak On Boeing 787 Grounds Plane In Boston
Boston, MA – A Boeing 787, operated by Japan Airlines, had a fuel leak at Boston’s Logan International Airport Tuesday. This is the second incident in two days involving a 787 at Logan International Airport.
The Boeing 787, which was suppose to fly to Tokyo, was towed to the gate after roughly 40 gallons of fuel spilled said Massachusetts Port Authority spokesman Richard Walsh reports The Washington Post. He said the plane had 178 passengers and 11 crew on board.
Japan Airlines spokeswoman said the crew reported mechanical issues and the flight was rescheduled for later that same day according to Yahoo News. On Monday, a battery pack in the belly of a different Japan Airlines Boeing 787 caught fire. The cabin filled with smoke minutes after the passengers had gotten off.
Boeing said it is aware of the issues and working with Japan Airlines. The NTSB, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, said the Tuesday’s fuel leak will not be investigates because there was no accident.
Back in December, the FAA, Federal Aviation Administration ordered all 787s to be inspected after fuel leaks were found on two aircraft operated by foreign airlines. The leaks came from incorrectly assembled fuel line couplings which could result in loss of power or an engine fire the FAA said according to Yahoo News.
After the electrical fire on Monday analysts have raised some concerns about Boeing’s 787 jets.Yahoo News reports Richard Aboulafia, a defense and aerospace analyst with Teal Group, a consulting firm based in Fairfax, Virginia said:
“We’re getting to a tipping point where they go from needing to rectify problems to doing major damage control to the image of the company and the plane. While they delivered a large and unexpected number of 787s last year, it’s possible that they should have instead focused on identifying glitches and flaws, rather than pushing ahead with volume production. It’s just a question of how quickly they can get all the onboard technologies right, and whether or not the 787 and Boeing brands will be badly damaged.”
