A fire on an empty Boeing Co. Dreamliner at London's Heathrow Airport would have posed a serious risk to the Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise jet had it occurred during a flight, the official probe into the incident said.
Cabin crew would have struggled to isolate and extinguish the blaze in the 787's emergency locater transmitter, Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch said Wednesday. Boeing's own models show the 2013 fire could have caused "depressurization" of the passenger cabin had it occurred at altitude, though the plane would have retained its integrity, the agency added.
A short-circuit caused by crossed wires ignited a lithium battery in the transmitter, with resin in the jet's composite hull fueling the flames, the AAIB said, confirming earlier findings. Honeywell International Inc., the transmitter's maker, is redesigning the unit and taking other safety steps along with Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, it said.