U.S. & Japan Grounding of Boeing Dreamliners Due to Battery Failure and Fire Risks

Authorities in the United States and Japan have ordered airlines to stop flying their new Boeing 787 aircraft until a fire risk linked to battery failures can be fixed. According to a Jan. 17 CNN report, the move came after two emergency landings, one in Japan and another in Boston.

U.S. and Japanese officials have ordered all airline carriers to stop flying their new Boeing 787 aircraft or Dreamliners until they can show they have fixed a fire risk that has been linked to battery failures. According to a Jan. 17 CNN report, these moves by the two governments came after emergency landings involving these Boeing 787 aircraft one in Japan and another in Boston. CNN reports that the battery failures “resulted in release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage and smoke” aboard the airplanes. The cause of the battery failure is still under investigation and officials say if the problem is not fixed, it could result in damage to critical systems and structures and cause fires in the electrical compartment, the report states.

United Airlines is the only American carrier to operate the new aircraft and has said it will closely work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing during the technical review process, CNN reports. The first commercial Dreamliner flight took off in October 2011 flying from Tokyo to Hong Kong and no major problems were reported for the next year, the report states.

However, since July, there has been a growing list of problems on board these planes including fuel leaks, oil leaks, cracked engines, damaged cockpit window and battery problems, the article says. So far, the most serious incident involved All Nippon Airlines with 129 people on board, which had to make an emergency damage after a battery alarm and a burning smell in the cabin. Boeing has delivered 50 of these Dreamliners and has more than 800 orders from worldwide airlines, the report states.

Grounding these airplanes is the right thing to do given the seriousness of the problem, said John Bisnar, founder of the Bisnar Chase personal injury law firm. “These are of course dangerous defects and it appears that no determination has been made regarding what caused them. In my opinion, these aircraft should not take off again until the problems are fixed satisfactorily.”

Airline crashes are rare, but when they do occur, they result in catastrophic injuries and fatalities, Bisnar says. “A number of these aviation accidents are caused by a defective or malfunctioning part. They are crashes that can be avoided with diligent inspections. I’m relieved that the authorities have taken a strong step to ensure the safety of America’s flying public.”

The California product liability lawyers of Bisnar Chase represent victims of defective products and many other personal injuries. The firm has been featured on a number of popular media outlets including Newsweek, Fox, NBC, and ABC and is known for its passionate pursuit of results for their clients. Since 1978, Bisnar Chase has recovered millions of dollars for victims of serious personal injuries.

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Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/16/travel/dreamliner-faa/?hpt=hp_t1