Boeing to check into 747 electrical glitch

Published 7:17 pm Wednesday, January 9, 2008

EVERETT — A mid-air electrical failure on a Boeing Co. 747 jet prompted an Australian carrier to inspect its fleet of jumbo jets earlier this week.

During a flight from London on Monday, an Everett-built 747-400 lost electrical power shortly before its landing in Bangkok. Using auxiliary power, pilots for Qantas Airways safely landed the jumbo jet, which carried more than 300 passengers.

The airline said Wednesday that it has determined the cause of the power failure and checked its other 747s for similar issues.

Qantas investigated the incident on its own and in conjunction with Boeing, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

The carrier found water had leaked into the 747’s generator control unit and caused the jet’s power to fail, according to a press release. The 747 reverted to its short-term standby power unit, which allowed the pilots to land.

A spokesman for Qantas told The Australian newspaper that the water was traced to a cracked drip tray located under the galley in first class.

Jim Proulx, a spokesman for Boeing, said the incident is under investigation. Boeing anticipates receiving a report from the involved agencies early next week. “We really don’t know precisely what happened,” Proulx said.

Qantas fixed the leaky tray and cleared the 747-400 for flight Wednesday. The carrier additionally cleared the rest of its 747 fleet.

“The aircraft was subjected to stringent inspections and testing in Bangkok before being cleared to fly,” said John Borghetti, executive general manager for Qantas.

The carrier anticipates that Boeing will alert all operators of the 747-400 of the incident. Proulx estimates there are about 420 747-400s in operation. Boeing will evaluate the incident report and notify 747 operators.

Boeing has launched an updated version of its jumbo jet, the 747-8, which is scheduled to enter service in late 2009.