A 787 Dreamliner scheduled to leave Lindbergh field has been grounded due to ongoing problems with that model of aircraft.
That flight was scheduled to take off from here at terminal 2 at 11:30 Wednesday morning, but now Japan's two biggest airlines have grounded all of their 787's for inspections. This includes another flight in San Jose as well.
The 787, known as the Dreamliner, is Boeing's newest and most technologically advanced jet. The groundings are the result of an emergency landing in Japan last night made by a 7-87 operated by All Nippon Airway.
That flight was headed for Tokyo but had to land 45 minutes later. An "unusual smell" was detected inside the cockpit and the passenger cabin, according to a news conference held by All Nippon Airlines.
They say fire trucks were deployed after the plane landed, but there was no fire to put out. This is the latest in a string of problems for the dreamliner -- including fuel leaks, a battery fire, and a brake computer glitch.
Japan is so far the biggest market for the 787, with ANA and Japan Airlines Co. flying 24 of the 50 Dreamliners delivered to date.
The plane relies much more heavily on electric components than previous models. Both Japan and the United States have opened broad and open-ended investigations into the 787 after a series of incidents that have raised safety concerns.
The FAA started a comprehensive review last week looking at all aspects of the new aircraft, But focusing heavily on the electric components of the aircraft.
All Nippon Airlines said instruments on the flight indicated a battery error and that All passengers and crew evacuated safely by using the plane's inflatable slides.
Photo Credit: NBC10 Philadelphia - Dan Stamm