LONDON ¨C A fire on an empty Boeing Co. Dreamliner at London¡¯s Heathrow Airport would have posed a serious risk to the Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise jet had it occurred during a flight, the official probe into the incident said.
Cabin crew would have struggled to isolate and extinguish the blaze in the 787¡¯s emergency locater transmitter, Britain¡¯s Air Accidents Investigation Branch said Wednesday. Boeing¡¯s own models show the 2013 fire could have caused ¡°depressurization¡± of the passenger cabin had it occurred at altitude, though the plane would have retained its integrity, the agency added.
A short-circuit caused by crossed wires ignited a lithium battery in the transmitter, with resin in the jet¡¯s composite hull fueling the flames, the AAIB said, confirming earlier findings. Honeywell International Inc., the transmitter¡¯s maker, is redesigning the unit and taking other safety steps along with Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, it said.
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