Another 787 has to divert

[jimntx]

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/not-living-the-dream-another-one-of-boeings-787s-diverted.html/?ref=YF

Posted here instead of United forum because this is more of an airplane rather than an airline problem. (Though lord knows, this is a problem for United.) LHR-IAH flight.

 

[Knotbuyinit]

OMG! an aircraft engine lost oil quantity, had an oil filter bypass issue and an engine wouldn't start! I can't believe it, that's never happened before. The 787 and United are doomed!

 

[jimntx]

Ok, I realize it's not the end of the world, but considering that the 787s were grounded worldwide for various problems and since there has been a steady report of diversions, etc for various problems, it is a problem for the airplane and the airlines that fly it. If the public decides the 787 is not safe or dependable, they won't fly it.

Just last week, the diversion to SEA of an ORD-NRT flight. Now, Seattle is one of my favorite cities in the world most of the time, but if I was expecting to be in Tokyo, not so much.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

It is also newsworthy, and "airline news". Thanks Jim.

As mechanics, pilot, F/A's know, these events are fairly common. But from a marketing perspective, this is bad news for Boeing and the airlines that fly the 787. The media is all over the 787 right now. It really needs a long period of flawless operation. Then the circus will move on to the next shiny object.

 

[Knotbuyinit]

Speaking of marketing prospective, Boeing placed 102 orders for the Dreamliner during the Paris Air Show last week bringing the taking orders now in excess of 900. As far as engine related problems on new aircraft, do you remember Qantas flight 32? A new Airbus A380 that experienced an uncontained disc burst of the number 1 engine that caused damage to critical airframe and flight control systems? That one single event came closer to bringing the aircraft down than anything the Dreamliner has experienced to date. The A380 fleet was grounding (albeit not as long as the Dreamliner) but in the long run didn't seem to impact the marketing perspective of the aircraft. The Dreamliner is going to suffer some setback, as every new design aircraft does.

It doesn't help Boeings case when the uninformed media reports about system faults with the Dreamliner that are common problems on many, if not most other aircraft. Brake, anti-ice, engine etc. problems are pretty common on most aircraft but you don't read about them in the news, just the Dreamliner.