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ET / Ethiopian 787 "Dreamliner" catches fire at LHR [12 Jul 2013]

ET / Ethiopian 787 "Dreamliner" catches fire at LHR [12 Jul 2013]

Old Jul 12, 2013, 10:20 am
  #1  
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ET / Ethiopian 787 "Dreamliner" catches fire at LHR [12 Jul 2013]

Reports of this just now - plane at gate, both runways shut.
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 10:28 am
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I can confirm. It is an Ethiopian B787, standing a little away from Terminal 3 at LHR. When we taxed past the aircraft they were spraying water on it, but there were no visible signs of a fire. Probably put out already. I wonder what caused it. Boeing sure won't be happy about this ...

Snacky
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 10:36 am
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ET / Ethiopian 787 fire at Heathrow [12 Jul 2013]

Developing story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23294760
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 10:48 am
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Got this one from twitter:
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 10:52 am
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Where are the batteries on these planes?
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 10:56 am
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The aircraft is at a remote stand so why close the whole airport?
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 10:56 am
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Originally Posted by LAChargers
Where are the batteries on these planes?
...and where does the new battery ventilation pipe come out? I'm guessing it's the scorched area.
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 10:58 am
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Originally Posted by Cassie55
The aircraft is at a remote stand so why close the whole airport?
Because emergency response crew is attending the 787.
What would happen if, god forbid, another aircraft crash?
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 11:03 am
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Breaking: Ethiopian 787 catches fire at Heathrow (7/12/13)

Few details on this item just picked up via the NY Times/Reuters.

Article quoted below in full due to its brevity:

"LONDON A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Ethiopian Airlines caught fire at Britain's Heathrow airport on Friday, forcing the closure of both of its runways.

Shares in Boeing fell over 5 percent in New York. Television footage showed the Dreamliner surrounded by foam used by firefighters.

A Heathrow spokeswoman said fire services were attending the incident. There were no passengers aboard the plane.

The lightweight new plane suffered a series of battery fires earlier this year, causing it to be grounded until Boeing came up with a fix.

On April 27, Ethiopian Airlines was the first carrier to resume flights with Dreamliner passenger jets, three months after they were grounded over the battery meltdowns.

(Reporting by Rhys Jones; editing by Guy Faulconbridge Stephen Addison and Kate Holton)"

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/...w.html?hp&_r=0

Obviously too early to comment on whether this was/is due to previous battery issues with the aircraft.
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 11:05 am
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It's very fortunate that this fire occurred on the ground.

Anyone know how long the plane was parket at the gate, and whether it was occupied?
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 11:08 am
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News reports says nobody was on board at that particular time, so unlikely for any injuries or anything of the sort at least!
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 11:10 am
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Scorch marks

It's hard to tell from the photo but are those scorch marks just in front of the vertical stabilizer?
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 11:11 am
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Originally Posted by Dan1113
News reports says nobody was on board at that particular time, so unlikely for any injuries or anything of the sort at least!
More good news!
Aviation Herald reports that the plane arrived LHR @06:30

Is there a pattern with (at least some) of the fires occurring after the plane lands, docks, and is powered down? I believe that is the same sequence as occurred with the JAL fire at Boston.

Last edited by transportprof; Jul 12, 2013 at 11:16 am
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 11:15 am
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Let's see how long it takes before the 787 is grounded again.
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Old Jul 12, 2013, 11:20 am
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Originally Posted by kkjay77
Because emergency response crew is attending the 787.
What would happen if, god forbid, another aircraft crash?
Of course, I'm not thinking.
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