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Boeing 787 battery fire was difficult to control through intense smoke, documents show

By: Joshua Freed And Joan Lowy, The Associated Press

Friday, Mar. 8, 2013 at 11:31 AM | Comments: 0

FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2013 file photo, All Nippon Airways' Boeing 787 "the Dreamliner" passenger jets are parked on the tarmac at Haneda airport in Tokyo. Documents related to a federal investigation into a battery fire aboard a Boeing 787 show firefighters struggling to tame a small but worrisome blaze that has left investigators relieved that it happened after a flight and not during one. Another smoldering battery nine days later in Japan prompted the grounding of 787s worldwide. Investigators still don’t know the root cause. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)

The National Transportation Safety Board has released 547 pages of reports and supporting materials about its investigation of the January airplane battery fire in Boston that led to the grounding of the Boeing 787.

The documents show firefighters struggling to tame a small but worrisome fire.

The smoking, hissing battery smouldered inside the belly of the parked 787 in Boston. When firefighters tried to take the battery off the plane, its six bolts held it fast. Firefighters tried a pry bar, but the battery wouldn't budge.

They finally cut it loose with a battery-operated tool and, using straps, hauled the 63-pound battery about 50 feet from the plane.

Another smouldering battery nine days later in Japan prompted the grounding of 50 787s worldwide. Investigators still don't know the root cause.

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