FAA approves Boeing plan to fix 787's batteries
(AP) A Boeing plan to redesign the 787 Dreamliner's fire-plagued lithium-ion batteries won approval Tuesday from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plan includes changes to the internal battery components to minimize the possibility of short-circuiting, which can lead to overheating and cause a fire. Among the changes are better insulation of the battery's eight cells and the addition of a new containment and venting system, the FAA said in a statement.
A series of tests, including flight tests, must be passed before the 787 can return to service. So far, flight tests of two 787s with prototypes of the new battery design have been approved, the agency said. A spokesman gave no estimate for when the planes would be allowed to fly passengers again.
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