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INDEXwiredInUSA - August 2013
Wiring inspection called for Dreamliner
US aviation safety officials confirmed in
July that they will order an inspection of
the wiring of emergency transmitters on all
Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The Federal Aviation
A dm i n i s t r a t i o n ’ s
inspectionorder is part
of the investigation
into the cause of a fire
onboard a Dreamliner
at a London, UK,
airport earlier in the
month. The beacons
transmit the aircraft’s
location in event of a
crash.
The New York Times reported that
investigators are looking at the possibility
that a pinched wire on a harness
connecting a battery to the transmitter
either ignited, or contributed to, the fire.
The transmitters’ batteries on all 787s flying
in the United States will also be inspected.
The newspaper added that Boeing intends
to tell airlines to either inspect or remove the
transmitters after British investigators had
urged the FAA to order airlines to disable
the batteries.
A statement from
the FAA read: “The
Federal
Aviation
Administration
is
workingwithBoeingto
develop instructions
to
operators
for
inspection of the
Emergency Locator
Transmitters (ELTs) on
Boeing 787 aircraft.
“These inspections would ask operators to
inspect for proper wire routing and any
signs of wire damage or pinching, as well
as inspect the battery compartment for
unusual signs of heating or moisture.”
MAKING
THENEWS