Everything keeps going wrong for Boeing
Regulators aren't letting the Dreamliner back in the air anytime soon.
Boeing (BA) can relate to the classic "Hee Haw" song "Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me," because if weren't for bad luck, the 787 Dreamliner would have no luck at all.Shares of the Chicago company fell Friday amid media reports that regulators weren't going to let the jetliner, which debuted nearly four years behind schedule, return to the skies anytime soon. Investigators and the company have been unable to determine why lithium-ion batteries on the plane have been catching fire. Until reviewers get assurance that the plane is safe, it will remain grounded.
"The expectation in aviation is to never experience a fire on an aircraft," said Deborah Hersman, the head of the National Transportation Board, in a press conference Thursday.
Not surprisingly, Boeing has been forced to halt all deliveries of the Dreamliner. The plane lists for about $207 million and promises far greater fuel efficiency than conventional aircraft, which for cost-conscious airlines is a huge deal. Carriers have largely been publicly supportive of Boeing, perhaps because the company must compensate customers who are inconvenienced by the Dreamliner's troubles.
Like all nightmares, Boeing's will come to an end. For now, though, no one has any idea when that might happen.
--Jonathan Berr does not own shares of the listed stocks. Follow him on Twitter @jdberr.
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My dad worked for Boeing for 42 years in 'flight test'. I remember well the quick trips off to Bogota or Nome or wherever the conditions were just right for the testing. Cutting corners didn't exist then. The 727 went through more testing than any commercial airliner in history. There was a reason Boeing had a corner on the market. Administrative Boeing moved to Chicago (because it was more of an international city) early in his retirement and I remember him pointing out some concerns about forthcoming problems. And sure enough. Boeing is still an American Co. No one is twisting their arm to buy cheap stuff. So I do blame Boeing to some degree.
"Investigators and the company have been unable to determine why batteries on the planes have been catching fire."---Ha! They don't want to admit that it was something so simple would be my first guess.
cost saving and laying off good engineers, and corporate greed with bad inspections, and testing evaluation, plus offshoring all are contributory factors. there goes the reputation. they should have kept up with old technology that worked for all this years. more upgrades and changes are at fault here.
cost saving for fuel consumption, and relying on more computer gizmo also at fault. electronic failure is at play here. even in cars same things are going on. they should learn to keep the stuff that works in past and forget the upgrades.
While there may be multiple issues wth Boeings latest, the problems with the batteries, according to some experts, is the failed technology involved in trying to force green initiatives involving ion batteries. Whether it is car makers or battery makers, the whole industry is plagued with failures. Most of the battrey companies the government threw money at are bankrupt and car companies, includung Volt and Fisker have experienced fires.
At best, no greenies or politicians are wiling to admit that the pollution and toxins emitted by mining lithium are far more damaging to the environment than gasoline engines. Instead, they continue to waste our tax dollars with subsidies and guarantees to their friends and in vote buying schemes.
In the end, this could cost Boeing billions as well as our economy.
It rapidly overheats to the point of actually catching on fire. Without adequate separation and a barrier, the adjacent cells also overheat. Decades ago, a lantern battery using low internal resistance cells, had to be taken off the market, until a circuit breaker or fuse was added internally.
(If shorted out it tended to cause a fire with out the breaker or fuse.) The Li batteries give off toxic and flammable gases and liquids when they overheat and "blow". Not something I'd want on an aircraft, unless it's a RC Model. I'd think that on as large an aircraft as a 787, the additional weight penalty of other battery chemistry choices is out weighed by the relative safety.
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