WASHINGTON--- The US Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it would launch a review of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner after a recent spate of safety incidents involving the aircraft.
The agency said it would undertake "a comprehensive review of Boeing 787 critical systems, including the design, manufacture and assembly."
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, FAA administrator Michael Huerta and Boeing Commercial Airplanes (IW 1000/53) president Ray Conner are scheduled to hold a news conference to discuss the action.
All Nippon Airways reported two more problems Friday. ANA said it discovered a crack on a cockpit windshield on one aircraft and an oil leak on another on domestic Japanese flights.
Including these latest mishaps, ANA and Japanese rival Japan Airlines have reported five problems with the Dreamliner since Monday.
On Monday, a JAL-operated Dreamliner caught fire after landing in Boston on a flight from Tokyo. No one was injured, as the airline said the passengers had all disembarked.
On Tuesday, the same airline aborted a flight after around 40 gallons of fuel spilled onto the runway in Boston.
The following day, ANA cancelled a regional hop in Japan after an apparent problem with the braking system.
Friday's incidents are yet another blow to the reputation of the Dreamliner, a new plane largely built with lightweight carbon composite materials to improve fuel efficiency.
A series of delays in the manufacturing process have been compounded by a number of problems since the plane went into service in October 2011 with launch customer ANA.
In July last year, test engine trouble was the subject of a probe by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The same month ANA said it was grounding five Dreamliners for repairs because of a defect in the Rolls-Royce engine.
In February, Boeing said around 55 Dreamliners were at risk of developing a fuselage problem.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2013
