It’s too early to determine the impact that a cabin fire on board a Boeing 787 test aircraft Tuesday will have on the 787′s program schedule, the company said late Wednesday afternoon.
The company is analyzing data from the flight, Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter said in a statement.
“Teams have been working through the night and will continue to work until analysis is complete and a path forward is determined,” Gunter said.
RBC Capital Markets analyst Robert Stallard said that there appears to be a “widespread expectation that there will be another delay and charge in some form or another.”
During an approach into Laredo, Texas, a 787 test plane was forced to land after it experienced an onboard electrical fire. The plane made a safe landing.
The aircraft lost its primary electrical power as a result of the fire, but backup systems functioned as expected, Gunter said. Initial inspection appears to indicate that a power control panel in the rear electronics bay will have to be replaced.
“We are inspecting the power panel and surrounding area near that panel to determine if other repairs will be necessary,” Gunter said.
A Boeing team has retrieved flight data from the airplane and is analyzing it in Seattle, but the process will take several days, Gunter said.
“We are committed to finding the cause quickly but will not rush the technical team in its efforts,” she said.
In the meantime, Boeing is postponing flight testing on other 787 test aircraft.
