A smoky fire in a Boeing 787 parked at Logan Airport in Boston Monday morning started with a battery in the almost-new aircraft’s auxiliary power unit, local fire officials said. The Japan Airlines 787 had been in service less than a month. Passengers disembarked after the nonstop flight from Tokyo arrived at about 10 a.m., and a mechanic reported smoke in the cabin about 15 minutes later. When airport fire crews arrived they found heavy smoke in the cabin and flames in the battery compartment. The fire was extinguished and nobody was hurt. The FAA said it will “look into” the event, and the NTSB has dispatched an investigator to the site.
The 787 fleet has experienced a number of electrical-system issues recently, according to Reuters. On Dec. 4, a United Airlines flight from Houston to Newark made an emergency landing after it appeared that a power generator had failed; on Dec. 13, a Qatar Airways 787 had the same problem; and on Dec. 17, United said a second 787 also had electrical issues. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney has said the 787 has had no more problems than are usual for a new airplane.
