Boeing Dreamliner makes emergency landing as inspections ordered

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner / Getty

NEW ORLEANS A United Airlines plane bound for New Jersey made an emergency landing in New Orleans Tuesday due to what one report says was an apparent electrical problem.

This, as the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the urgent inspection of 787s for possible fuel line defects.

Officials with United Airlines say Flight 1146, to Newark, N.J. was diverted to New Orleans due to a mechanical issue that arose after the plane departed from Houston.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet landed safely in New Orleans at about 9:45 a.m.

United says the flight carried 174 passengers and 10 crew members. The airline says it's working with Boeing to determine what caused the unscheduled stop.

Airline spokeswoman Christen David says the company made arrangements for the passengers to continue the flight to Newark on a different aircraft.

The website NYCAviation.com says there are indications the problem on the plane was electrical in nature, but that was not confirmed by United.

Separately, the FAA has ordered that 787s be inspected to be sure fuel line connectors are properly installed.

Bloomberg News, which was first to report the order, says it was issued after fuel leaks had to be fixed on two planes, from Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways.

In its air worthiness directive, the FAA says the fuel line flaws could lead to planes running out of fuel, engines shutting down or losing power, or leaks on hot engine parts that could cause fires, and that the matter was so pressing there was no time to wait for the customary public comment.

[jnostromo]

Too much federal regulation..leave business alone

[signseeker1717]

Sure..."business" has a SUCH a great record of self-regulation, we should just "leave them alone". Because we KNOW they are ALWAYS looking out for the public, ALWAYS maintainng the highest health and safety standards, ALWAYS doing the right thing, no matter WHAT the expense, and NEVER bilking consumers. We can trust chemical and mining companies to NEVER contaminate public water supplies, no business EVER cuts corners on safety or sacrifices quality to save costs, and no credit card company EVER gouges or misleads the public.

[mikeinsf]

Get stuffed.

[esnation]

I can certainly understand how this problem arose. In working for a very quality contious second tier aerospace manufacturer for over twenty years, I was taught the correct way to install lock-wire to fittings, as well as other important measures and safegaurds that have to be done or observed correctly as lives may depend on the job you perform. Unfortunately, I jumped to another aerospace supplier who did'nt seem to have that focus on quality. I left them only to find the next company had an even worse quality ethic. It seems that quality and workmanship is not as important today as it was at the original company I worked at. Now, the bottom line seems to take precedence over everything else. At the last aerospace supplier I worked at, some of my fellow engineers treated quality as if it were a game and would try to "get away with something" or "pull the wool over the eyes" of the resident DSQR inspectors. All in the name of getting product out the door faster, by cutting corners. I'm no longer employed in aerospace, I have chosen another field. I now also avoid flying if I can.

[signseeker1717]

I know some engineers and mechanics who worked on this plane here in SC, and they've told me stories similar to yours. Also, one of them told me that to cut costs and reduce weight, insulation for the wiring is paper thin. He said, "I'd fly it NOW, maybe, but not five years from now."