Boeing’s entire fleet of six 787 flight-test aircraft remains grounded as the company investigates the cause of an electrical fire that broke out in the second airplane, ZA002, during a November 9 test flight. The company has determined that a failure in a power control panel, known as the P100 panel, led to a fire involving an insulation blanket and a loss of the airplane’s primary electrical system as it approached Laredo, Texas. Backup systems, including the deployment of the ram air turbine (RAT), functioned as expected and allowed the crew to complete a safe landing. The 42 Boeing crewmembers and support personnel on board used emergency slides to evacuate after the airplane landed in Laredo.
Boeing has removed the P100 panel and shipped a replacement unit to Laredo. It has also removed the insulation material near the unit for inspection. One of several power panels in the aft electronics bay, the P100 panel receives power from the left engine and distributes it to an array of systems. Although the company said investigators found molten metal near the P100 panel, the presence of the material “is not unexpected in the presence of high heat” and “does not reveal anything meaningful to the investigation.”
