FAA Orders Boeing 787 Fuel Tank Inspections Over Explosion Risk

MGR Online•International•46m ago

Reader Briefing

The FAA has issued a safety directive for Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to inspect fuel tank sealant installation due to potential explosion risks during lightning strikes.

•The FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive on November 2, with enforcement starting November 7.
•The directive affects Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 models due to sealant installation failures during production.
•The FAA estimates 60 US-registered aircraft are affected, with inspection costs of approximately 2,890 USD per aircraft.
•Thai Airways possesses 23 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, though the FAA has not confirmed if these specific aircraft are affected.

Overview

•The FAA published an Airworthiness directive on November 2, which became effective on November 7.
•Failures in the installation of fuel tank sealant in the center wing area lacked required visual and adhesion testing evidence during production.
•The FAA warns that improper sealant installation could cause electrical sparks in the fuel tank during lightning strikes, potentially igniting fuel vapors and causing an explosion.
•Boeing must inspect the left, right, and center wing areas attached to the fuselage, including zones between the side-of-body rib and the wing rib.
•The FAA estimates that the inspection and adhesion testing take 34 working hours per aircraft at a cost of approximately 2,890 USD per aircraft.
•The total cost for the 60 affected US-registered aircraft is estimated at 173,400 USD, excluding maintenance costs.
•Thai Airways operates 23 Boeing 787 Dreamliners on international routes to Japan, China, Australia, Europe, and South Asia.
•A Thai Airways Boeing 787-9 recently experienced a cockpit window crack on flight TG 663 from Shanghai to Suvarnabhumi, requiring fuel dumping before returning to Shanghai.

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Key Entities

Organization

FAA(สำนักงานบริหารการบินแห่งชาติสหรัฐฯ)ℹ️

The United States agency that issued the safety directive for Boeing 787 fuel tank inspections.

Boeing(โบอิ้ง)ℹ️

The aircraft manufacturer of the 787 Dreamliner.

Thai Airways(การบินไทย)ℹ️

An airline that operates 23 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

AeroTime

An aviation media outlet that reported on the FAA directive.

Place

Shanghai(เซียงไฮ้)ℹ️

The departure and return city for flight TG 663.

Suvarnabhumi(สุวรรณภูมิ)ℹ️

The destination airport for flight TG 663.