The NTSB said on Tuesday it will hold a two-day investigative hearing on April 23-24 in Washington, D.C., to focus on the Jan. 7 battery fire aboard a Boeing 787 at Boston’s Logan Airport. The hearing will focus on issues relating to the design, testing and certification of the battery system, the board said. Meanwhile, Boeing cancelled a planned 787 test flight on Saturday that was intended to test newly engineered power panels, according to the Seattle Times. The company did not release any information about the test or its delay, the Times said. However, ground tests were continuing, the Times reported, and a single demonstration flight to certify Boeing’s battery fix is expected this week.
Meanwhile, Japan’s ANA airline, Boeing’s largest 787 customer, plans to start refresher training for about 200 pilots later this month so they will be ready to fly the 787 in June, according to Reuters. The airline owns 17 of the jets. Air India, which owns six of the grounded airplanes, is planning to sue Boeing for $37 million to cover its losses, according to Bloomberg News. The NTSB also has scheduled a separate forum, on April 11-12, to focus on lithium battery technology.
