A sensor problem was found Sunday in one of the exchanged batteries on a Japan Airlines (JAL) Boeing 787 jet.
JAL says the incident did not pose a safety risk, but it comes as airlines with Dreamliners are ramping up service on the jet after it had been grounded for four months on safety concerns. Overheating problems with the jet's batteries prompted safety regulators in the USA and elsewhere to ground the 787s in mid-January.
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As for the JAL problem, Japan's NHK TV says it involved a sensor that detects overheating in the modified version of the lithium-ion batteries used in the aircraft. The batteries were encased to prevent overheating from spreading.
Wall Street Journal reporter Yoree Koh has more on the incident from Tokyo. Citing a JAL spokesman, Koh writes Boeing workers making "the approved safety modifications to the battery system forgot to remove two pieces of tape covering two small holes — roughly the size of the tip of a Sharpie pen. The openings allow for smoother airflow between the inside and outside of the container to help prevent overheating. Because the holes were covered, JAL engineers detected that the air pressure level inside and outside the stainless steel container housing the battery was different."
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As you might expect, any glitches with the Dreamliner likely will draw increased scrutiny given the aircraft's recent history.
Reuters picked up on that theme, writing that "the incident, although minor, comes just after Japan Airlines and its local rival ANA, which together operate half of the world's 787s, returned the jet to service and may hamper efforts by them to allay travelers' concerns."
On that note, the Journal's Koh writes:
"Under normal circumstances, the incident would be considered less than minor and merit little attention but the incident garnered significant media attention because the timing was so close to its flight resumption. A JAL spokesman said there was no problem with the battery itself."
However, the issue did force JAL to temporarily ground the 787 that was scheduled to fly from Tokyo's Haneda Airport for Beijing. JAL eventually used a Boeing 767 in place of the Dreamliner for that flight, according to The Japan Times
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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