12/5/2012 1:15:00 AM
NEWS BRIEFS
Fuel Leaks Force 787 Dreamliner Inspections
The Federal Aviation Administration is ordering inspections of all 787 Dreamliners for “improperly installed fuel-line connectors that could result in leaks or even fires,” the Seattle Times reports.
The safety directive, first reported by Bloomberg News, gives airlines a week to check fuel-line system fastening wires and 21 days to check connectors inside the pylons that hold the engines.
Fuel leaks were reported on two in-service 787s, and subsequent inspections revealed some fuel line connectors were installed incorrectly, according to the Times.
Such leaks “could result in fuel leaks and consequent fuel exhaustion, engine power loss or shutdown, or leaks on hot engine parts that could lead to a fire,” according to an FAA notice.
The FAA said inspections revealed “missing or improperly installed lockwire” — a safety wire twisted between adjacent fasteners to ensure they do not loosen during service.
Boeing recommended inspections to 787 customers on Nov. 25.
“Certainly we would prefer not to have workmanship issues,” said Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter. “But the system finds them, we report them and we develop a solution.”
Inspections have been completed on about half the 38 Dreamliners delivered so far.
Boeing found “some connectors with parts installed in the wrong locations, some with incorrect parts installed and some with extra parts installed,” writes Dominic Gates of the Times.
Inspecting connectors involves disassembly, replacement of the o-rings, and checking all of the seals and retainer rings.
Gunter denied any connection between the fuel leaks and the incident that caused an emergency landing of a United Airlines Dreamliner in New Orleans on November 4. ©2012 GlobalFastenerNews.com
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