ANA reports first Dreamliner glitch
- Updated 4:34 p.m. ET
All Nippon Airways and Boeing are looking into a landing-gear problem reported on the ANA"s new 787 Dreamliner.
Reuters notes it is "the first technical glitch reported since the new jetliner entered service less than two weeks ago."
The problem occurred Sunday, just about two weeks after ANA flew the world"s first-ever Dreamliner flight with paying passengers. Airline officials say pilots had to make a second approach at Tokyo"s Haneda airport after they received an error message indicating the jet"s landing gear had not properly engaged, The Wall Street Journal reports.
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"The plane went around again as the pilot manually lowered the landing gear," an ANA spokeswoman says to AFP. The flight landed safely without further incident.
The BBC reports "the problem was due to a hydraulic valve fault," though airline officials say they"re still looking into the precise cause.
Reuters says the incident occurred on "the first of the two (Dreamliner) aircraft delivered so far to All Nippon Airways."
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"We are aware of this matter and are on-site in Japan with ANA offering whatever assistance they require," Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter tells The Associated Press. "Maintenance was conducted and the airplane has returned to service."
Small, unexpected glitches – sometimes likened to "teething pains" – are not uncommon for new aircraft models as they rack up flight hours after entering commercial service.
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