FAA Identifies 787 Software Glitch That Could Result in Power Failure, Orders Electrical Fix

A software glitch on Boeing 787 currently in service requires a regular shutdown and restart in order to prevent electrical problems, according to the FAA.

New issues have been identified with the problem-plagued Boeing 787 Dreamliner, requiring the FAA to step in once again. FlightGlobal reports a new FAA mandate requires all airlines flying the aircraft to regularly shut down and restart its electrical system.

The mandate stems from a software bug installed on the Dreamliner’s generator control units. In a lab test, the aircraft manufacturer discovered that the six generators aboard the next-generation plane could shut down if the generator control unit is run for eight straight months, resulting in a loss of power. The software glitch causes an overflow in the generator control unit, forcing each of the generators to enter a fail-safe mode.

Although Boeing alerted Dreamliner customers to the glitch last month, the FAA made the shutdown requirement official in an airworthiness directive issued May 1. An unnamed Boeing representative said that no operator has experienced a loss of power due to the glitch and a fix should be ready by the end of the year.

The software glitch is just the latest in a series of problems identified with the troubled aircraft. Two years ago, all Dreamliners in operation around the world were subject to grounding due to a number of high-profile battery fires. The fix for the batteries was approved in March 2013, with repaired aircraft returning to the skies soon afterward. Two months later, an Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner caught fire at London Heathrow Airport (LHR).

In addition, FlightGlobal reports the FAA approved another exception to allow the 787-9 Dreamliner to enter commercial service, even though the ram air turbine experienced a poor reliability record. The exception was granted because the failure of all power generators was considered improbable.

[Photo: Boeing]