JAL, ANA ground Dreamliners following fresh incident
16 Jan 2013
Following an emergency landing by a Boeing 787 aircraft in western Japan today, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways have grounded the fleet of the aircraft for inspection.
According to ANA it had grounded all 17 of its Dreamliner aircraft, while JAL said seven Dreamliner aircraft were grounded, citing safety concerns. The carriers are the largest single operators of the aircraft.
Today's incident comes as the fourth significant safety scare in just over a week after an ANA operated Dreamliner made an emergency landing in Takamatsu.
A comprehensive review of the design, manufacture and assembly of the Boeing 787 is being conducted by the US Federal Aviation Administration, even as the aircraft has been declared safe by government officials, despite recent incidents. (See: Boeing 787 design, production under FAA scrutiny)
ANA's flight 692 from Yamaguchi airport in western Japan to Haneda, in Tokyo, was forced to land less than an hour after take-off, after cockpit instruments indicated a battery malfunction and the pilot noticed a strange smell.
After safe evacuation of the 129 passengers on board, the airport was sealed off.
