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| Inquiry Into 787 Fire Said to Focus on Transmitter | Inquiry Into 787 Fire Said to Focus on Transmitter |
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| British safety investigators are examining whether a malfunction in an emergency locator transmitter or other equipment in the rear of a Boeing 787 caused the plane to catch fire on Friday at London’s Heathrow Airport, federal and industry officials said Monday. | British safety investigators are examining whether a malfunction in an emergency locator transmitter or other equipment in the rear of a Boeing 787 caused the plane to catch fire on Friday at London’s Heathrow Airport, federal and industry officials said Monday. |
| The transmitter, which would send out the plane’s location after a crash, is powered by a small lithium-manganese battery. The officials, who would speak only under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the inquiry publicly, said investigators were focused on whether the transmitter could have caused the fire or helped it spread. | The transmitter, which would send out the plane’s location after a crash, is powered by a small lithium-manganese battery. The officials, who would speak only under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the inquiry publicly, said investigators were focused on whether the transmitter could have caused the fire or helped it spread. |
| Honeywell Aerospace, which supplies the transmitter and the jet’s navigation system, said Monday that it had sent technical experts to Heathrow to help the investigators. It said, however, that it was still “premature to speculate on the cause of the fire.” | Honeywell Aerospace, which supplies the transmitter and the jet’s navigation system, said Monday that it had sent technical experts to Heathrow to help the investigators. It said, however, that it was still “premature to speculate on the cause of the fire.” |
| The federal and industry officials said it was not clear if the transmitter, which is positioned near the top of the jet, malfunctioned or if the fire started close to it. | |
| Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has said it might release preliminary findings this week, and any suggestion that the transmitter was to blame would be a relief for Boeing. Honeywell and other companies supply similar devices for many passenger and business jets, and the best case for Boeing at this point would be to have the problem traced to a generic piece of equipment instead of some of the novel systems on the plane. The plane's new electric and battery systems have led to problems in the early stages of the 787's service even as airlines, attracted by the fuel savings, continue to place orders for the aircraft. | |
| Still, it remained puzzling how the fire could have started because the empty jet had been parked for eight hours. Honeywell also noted in a statement on Monday that its transmitters had been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration since 2005, and “we’ve not seen or experienced a single reported issue on this product line.” | |
| The transmitters have drawn such interest because they were situated directly beneath the searing heat damage that was visible in the crown of the plane’s fuselage. They also stand out in their reliance on lithium since fire and smoke emitted from other lithium-ion batteries in January led to a four-month grounding of the 787’s around the world. | The transmitters have drawn such interest because they were situated directly beneath the searing heat damage that was visible in the crown of the plane’s fuselage. They also stand out in their reliance on lithium since fire and smoke emitted from other lithium-ion batteries in January led to a four-month grounding of the 787’s around the world. |
| But the battery in the transmitter is much smaller and less volatile than the other lithium batteries, which can supply power when the plane is on the ground and provide backup power for the flight systems when it is in the air. Those batteries have a cobalt chemistry, which is more volatile than manganese. | But the battery in the transmitter is much smaller and less volatile than the other lithium batteries, which can supply power when the plane is on the ground and provide backup power for the flight systems when it is in the air. Those batteries have a cobalt chemistry, which is more volatile than manganese. |
| The British investigators said Saturday they had essentially concluded that the larger lithium-ion batteries played no role in the fire on Friday. But they have not yet released any other findings. | The British investigators said Saturday they had essentially concluded that the larger lithium-ion batteries played no role in the fire on Friday. But they have not yet released any other findings. |
| The Ethiopian jet was parked in a remote part of the airport when the fire broke out. The fire occurred four and a half hours before the plane was scheduled to depart for Ethiopia. | The Ethiopian jet was parked in a remote part of the airport when the fire broke out. The fire occurred four and a half hours before the plane was scheduled to depart for Ethiopia. |
| Boeing and its suppliers have invested more than $20 billion in the Dreamliner, which uses lightweight carbon materials and more efficient engines to cut operating costs by some 20 percent. The company has delivered 68 of the planes to the 13 airlines, and it expects to sell thousands of the planes over the next two decades. | Boeing and its suppliers have invested more than $20 billion in the Dreamliner, which uses lightweight carbon materials and more efficient engines to cut operating costs by some 20 percent. The company has delivered 68 of the planes to the 13 airlines, and it expects to sell thousands of the planes over the next two decades. |
| Since the latest fire, the 13 airlines with 787s so far have kept flying them and expressed confidence in the plane’s safety. | Since the latest fire, the 13 airlines with 787s so far have kept flying them and expressed confidence in the plane’s safety. |