Flight testing of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner remained suspended this weekend, following an emergency landing of a Dreamliner test aircraft in Texas earlier in the week.
The airplane involved was flight testing the 787's Nitrogen Generation System when the pilot reported smoke in the rear of the cabin. That smoke was caused by an electrical fire that knocked out the plane's primary electrical system.
Boeing says that back-up systems including the Ram Air Turbine, auxiliary power unit (APU) and batteries functioned as designed to provide alternate electrical sources, enabling the crew to land the 787 safely.
According to the manufacturer, there's no apparent connection between the fire and the systems being tested.
Upon landing in Laredo, Texas, those onboard evacuated through the aircraft's emergency slides.
Flight testing will remain suspended as the investigation continues into the cause of the fire.
Boeing said it will use data from the flight data recorder, as well as damaged aircraft components including the power control panel and surrounding insulation to determine the cause of the fire and any necessary modifications.
Boeing has said that non-flying elements of the certification program will continue despite the suspension of flight testing.
This is the latest in a series of setbacks for the Dreamliner program, which has already been delayed numerous times.
In a press release earlier this week, Boeing stated "we cannot determine the impact of this event on the overall program schedule until we have worked our way through the data."
Whle undergoing repairs in Laredo, the aircraft will also be checked for damage to other systems and structural compentents.
Wall Street reacted very negatively to the latest Boeing news, with share prices dropping more than 11 percent this week.
First deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner were scheduled to begin late in the first quarter of 2011 to All Nippon Airways.