Boeing 787 Returns to Skies for Single Flight

Bethany Whitfield

Friday, February 08, 2013 at 12:12 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The FAA has authorized a single, crew-only flight for a grounded Boeing 787 to move it to a factory, while the rest of the fleet remains grounded due to lithium-ion battery issues.
Investigations into recent battery incidents revealed thermal runaway and single-cell short-circuiting, prompting scrutiny of the battery's design, manufacturing, charging, and the original certification process.
The NTSB is re-evaluating the safety and risk assessment of the 787's battery system given the rapid succession of incidents, and the timeline for the fleet's return to service remains unknown.

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While the rest of the Boeing 787 fleet remains grounded, the FAA has authorized a one-time crew-only Dreamliner flight to return one of the airplanes from a paint facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to the company’s factory outside Seattle.

FAA approval for the flight was given alongside the stipulations that the flight crew take a direct route to Everett, follow certain preflight procedures to ensure no pre-existing battery damage and continuously monitor for potential battery problems in flight.