Boeing 787 to Stay Grounded as U.S. Can’t Explain Fires

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) The top two U.S. aviation regulators said they don’t know what led to battery flaws that prompted them to ground Boeing Co. (BA)’s 787, and defended their decision to not let the plane fly until the cause is found.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta gave no indication yesterday that the Dreamliner will return to service soon, as regulators around the world try to figure out what triggered smoke and fire earlier this month on two Japanese airliners, one of which made an emergency landing.

“Our goal is to get this done as quickly as possible, but we must be confident that the problems are corrected before we can move forward,” LaHood said at a meeting of the Aero Club of Washington. The Transportation Department and the Federal Aviation Administration “are working diligently with Boeing” to find a solution, LaHood said.

“We don’t know what caused these incidents yet,” Huerta told reporters at a briefing after LaHood’s remarks. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-23/boeing-787-batteries-must-be-safe-to-resume-flights-lahood-says.html