Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

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x_atc
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Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by x_atc »

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sky's the limit
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by sky's the limit »

I guess "fixed" doesn't mean what it used to...?
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GyvAir
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by GyvAir »

Link with video showing fire location:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2 ... hrow-video

Are the batteries located in that general area?
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goldeneagle
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by goldeneagle »

This link has a diagram showing battery locations

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/01/15/1 ... -fire.html

One of them is located under the floorboards, pretty much exactly where that fire damage comes thru the top of the fuse.

If that's a battery fire, and it's burned from under the floor, up thru and melted the roof as it looks in the photos online, 787's going to head for parking again real soon me thinks.
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x_atc
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by x_atc »

goldeneagle wrote:This link has a diagram showing battery locations

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/01/15/1 ... -fire.html

One of them is located under the floorboards, pretty much exactly where that fire damage comes thru the top of the fuse.

If that's a battery fire, and it's burned from under the floor, up thru and melted the roof as it looks in the photos online, 787's going to head for parking again real soon me thinks.
Ugh, what a disaster for Boeing, if this proves to be true...
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slam525i
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by slam525i »

My understanding of Li-related fires is that they're hot as holy hell, but relatively small. I'd have thought it's much more likely for it to burn through downwards by melting whatever is under it. If the fire was big enough to start coming out the top, the whole interior would be engulfed, windows and all, no? The video shows an open 4L door that looks pretty normal inside...

(To think, I used to think bleed-air was dangerous at 200 degrees C and 40 PSI...)
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goldeneagle
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by goldeneagle »

More hunting online regarding battery locations, and the waters seem a little confused. The link I posted above, shows a battery located in roughly the area of the fire yesterday. Other sources I found, show a completely different position for the rear battery, roughly under the wing trailing edge.

I dunno anymore...
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GARTHRYAN
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by GARTHRYAN »

I think that's probably where the aft galley is located.
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by AirFrame »

Ah, so the fire was caused by airline food? I know it can give you gas...
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tbaylx
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by tbaylx »

The fire appears to be in front of the aft galley, right above the aft lavs and where the crew rest is located, far away from any batteries on the aircraft. Lots of things could have caused this, but i'm going to bet batteries are not one of them.
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Flying Nutcracker
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by Flying Nutcracker »

Maybe someone was having a cigar, and forgot to put it out?

:shock:
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by 200hr Wonder »

According to the BBC the fire was not battery related.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23302722
13 July 2013 Last updated at 18:29

Batteries 'not linked' to 787 fire at Heathrow

There is no evidence of a direct link between the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's batteries and the fire at Heathrow Airport on Friday, investigators said.

The fire on the parked Ethiopian Airlines plane closed the London airport's runways for 90 minutes.

At the start of the year, all 50 Dreamliners in service worldwide were grounded after two separate incidents concerning batteries.

But the investigators found the fire damage was not near the batteries.

The aircraft is currently in a hangar at Heathrow while the investigation is carried out.

Rear fuselage

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch said the initial investigation was likely to take several days.

It said it had found "extensive heat damage in the upper portion of the rear fuselage, a complex part of the aircraft".

"However, it is clear that this heat damage is remote from the area in which the aircraft main and APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) batteries are located and at this stage there is no evidence of a direct causal relationship."

The AAIB will lead the investigation, with involvement from Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration, the US-based National Transportation Safety Board, the Civil Aviation Authority of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airlines, the European Aviation Safety Agency and the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Ethiopian Airlines has said it will continue operating its fleet of Dreamliners.

It said the plane had been parked for eight hours before smoke was spotted and the incident was "not related to flight safety".

There were no passengers aboard the plane, named the Queen of Sheba, when it caught fire.

When it was spotted, fire-retardant foam was sprayed at the airliner. The area on top of the fuselage in front of the tail appeared to be scorched.

Emergency landing

The Dreamliner was marketed as a quiet, fuel-efficient aircraft carrying between 201 and 290 passengers on medium-range routes.

It was due to enter passenger service in 2008 but it was October 2011 before the first commercial flight was operated.

On 7 January, a battery overheated and started a fire on a Japan Airlines 787 at Boston's Logan International Airport.

Nine days later, an All Nippon Airways 787 had to make an emergency landing in Japan after a battery started to give off smoke.

In response, all 50 Dreamliners in service at the time were grounded. Boeing modified the jets with new batteries and flights resumed in April.
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by Siddley Hawker »

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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by CID »

Interesting. Those Honeywell ELTs use Lithium batteries. I don't know the exact technology however. They have a battery life of 12 years and will transmit for 50 or 120 hours at -20C (depending on the model).
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by TeePeeCreeper »

I can confirm though a very reputable source that the battery issues of past days have been sorted and that this incident was not related in any way shape or form....

From the horse's mouth quite literally...

TPC (is still a sceptic none the less)
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by Siddley Hawker »

TPC (is still a sceptic none the less)
TPC I hope your horses mouth is correct, otherwise he's gonna look like a different part of the horse. :wink:
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by Sidebar »

From the AAIB website (http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cf ... elease.pdf):
... it is clear that this heat damage is remote from the area in which the aircraft main and APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) batteries are located, and, at this stage, there is no evidence of a direct causal relationship.
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CpnCrunch
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by CpnCrunch »

Looks like it was the lithium battery in the ELT:

http://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-d ... elt-2013-7
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GyvAir
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Re: Ethiopian Dreamliner fire at LHR

Post by GyvAir »

Not a repair task I would envy much:

787 Repair A "Challenge"
Composites World called the effort "possibly, one of the largest composite repair projects in aerospace history."
Image
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