Following the successful flight of a Boeing 787 yesterday, Boeing have been cleared to conduct test flights with the Dreamliner by the Federal Aviation Administration .
The FAA agrees with Boeing that test flights are an important part to ensure passenger safety, and the eventual return to service of the 787 fleet. The purpose of the test flights will be information about the battery and electrical system performance while the aircraft is airborne. In a particular move to build more confidence, the FAA has requested that test flights will be conducted in defined airspace over unpopulated areas.
The FAA is confident that the aircraft is safe for test flight purposes.
In a release by the FAA,they have issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate (for the purpose of Research and Development), with specific requirements that are to be met:
- Before flight, the crew must perform a number of inspections to verify that the batteries and cables show no signs of damage.
- Pre-flight checklist will include a mandatory check for specific status messages that could indicate possible battery problems.
- While airborne, the crew must continuously monitor the flight computer for battery related status messages, and land immediately if one occurs.
- Before the initial test flight, the crew must inspect the airplane’s smoke barriers and insulation to verify that they meet the approved design.
- Experimental research and development flights are flown with Boeing aircrews that include only personnel essential to the flight.
Data – FAA.gov
The FAA is working through the 787’s saftey systems – with a deep review of the critical system including the aircraft’s design, manufacture and assembly.
The questions remain however what causes the Li-ion battery packs to short and cause a thermal runaway, and what safeguards can be put in place to prevent a battery pack failure happen again.
This question has become more important as it has been revealed that Boeing suggests a 1 in 1 million flight hours before a failure – where we have seen 2 failures in under 100,000 flight hours recently.
Lets hope these flights reveal some answers.