Kolkata: An Air India Dreamliner was grounded today after sparks coming out of its wheels were noticed on landing at the Kolkata Airport.
The sparks were noticed by the pilot of another aircraft when the Boeing 787, which had 171 passengers on board, landed from Delhi at around 1650 hours, airport officials said.
The pilot, who observed the sparks immediately reported to the Air traffic Control as per the normal practice in such situations, the officials added.
Though the passengers were deplaned normally after the plane taxied to the parking bay, Air India engineers and technicians were rushed to the aircraft immediately and the aircraft was grounded for check and repair.
Air India's Dreamliner fleet has in past also reported several glitches. Earlier this month, while replying to a member's question in the Lok Sabha Civil Aviation minister Ajit Singh has said that the Dreamliner fleet suffered 136 'minor' technical problems between their delivery since September last year and November this year.
He had said that the Air India was constantly in touch with Boeing on the issue of technical reliability of these new aircraft and added that a team of engineers and technicians from the American manufacturer was installing a reliability enhancement package involving upgrades to the software and components in the aircraft.
Authorities in Chile, Ethiopia, Europe, India, Japan and Qatar followed the US Federal Aviation Administration in halting all 787 flights after a smoke alert forced a Japanese Dreamliner to make an emergency landing on Wednesday.The US FAA, in grounding all US-registered 787 aircraft late Wednesday, highlighted "a potential battery fire risk in the 787" after a suspected leak emerged as the focus of inquiries into an All Nippon Airways emergency landing.This photo shows the distorted main lithium-ion battery of the All Nippon Airways' Boeing 787 which made an emergency landing on Wednesday.Analysts said Boeing would have to handle the ANA incident with extreme care after making a big gamble with its next-generation plane.The aircraft's flight systems rely heavily on electronics rather than the hydraulics used in older planes, and Boeing's use of lightweight composite materials is another breakthrough for airlines anxious to cut fuel costs.The global groundings came as Boeing reclaimed its title as the world's biggest planemaker from European rival Airbus.The powerful lithium-ion batteries used on the Dreamliner have emerged as the focus of concern in light of the ANA incident and another on a Japan Air Lines flight in the United States last week, with smoke reported on both planes.Electrolyte leaks and burn marks were found on the battery's metal casing, ANA said. Kyodo News reported that officials from the Japan Transport Safety Board were working on the principle that it had overheated.A 787 jet painted in a Delta livery is seen at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. Federal officials say they are temporarily grounding Boeing's 787 Dreamliners until the risk of possible battery fires is addressed.Department chief looks into the cargo hold of a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet parked at a Terminal E gate at Logan International Airport in Boston.A Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet aircraft is surrounded by emergency vehicles while parked at a terminal E gate at Logan International Airport in Boston as a fire chief looks into the cargo hold.
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