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Former NTSB Managing Director Peter Goelz on Boeing’s handling of the battery issues in the Dreamliner.
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Now on to our top story a big -- twisted -- battery problems with the dreamliner and the grounding of all of the 780 sevens.
After issue was downplayed at the outset saying it was just growing pains that every new -- aircraft experiences now it has come out.
That -- had knowledge of need your battery problems even before the incidents of smoke and fire on the planes.
Our aviation expert Peter goals a former TSE.
-- has been following this story with us since the start and he's back now would this latest development Peter.
What -- your NTSB hat back on for a second here.
And if you find out that they new.
That they had ten batteries that had problems and it did in Japanese airline that told them they had to replace ten batteries did they do something wrong by not disclosing it.
Or by not addressing the problem right there.
What -- issue it's not just ten batteries that's ten batteries from one of the airlines the second airline using the Japanese airline.
-- using -- dreamliner.
Also had problems.
They would not required to turn these events over to the regulator in Japan.
Or in the US you know we have pages of regulations.
This was seen this kind of Bob -- or normal maintenance issue.
The real question is.
Both airliners reported their problems the Boeing and so we've had to change out in one case ten batteries right another case we don't know how many.
The question is whether Boeing was connecting the dots whether they saw.
That there was a problem growing -- these batteries and what they did about it.
But it would really not how could they not at this point I mean that does sound like an awful lot of batteries it sounds like it's in the same problem.
Over and over again we're also hearing.
That.
There was a study back in 2010 the FAA found that the this kind of lithium ion chemistry that Boeing was using -- lithium cobalt.
Was more flammable been several possible -- -- there was a study out that said that this could be a problem and then all of a sudden you see evidence of it.
It don't you think I mean isn't it logical to believe at that point they should have said we have a problem.
Well as an investigator you go back and look at every event.
And you see whether there's any similarities.
We're not sure yet we know that there was six of them apparently.
Were.
Overcharges.
There was some under charges the question is whether any similarities.
Either in the events or from the production side you one interesting thing that came out this week is.
That the battery itself has not been given a clean bill -- You know on Friday it was reported incorrectly.
That the Japanese it said that it it looks good.
That's not the case yet they're still looking very carefully at the battery itself.
And its manufacturing process -- So right now Boeing is -- -- they have their earnings call today they said they have thirteen billion dollars in cash on hand they had a record quarter.
They -- -- jet cancellations and referrals remain above the historical average that their production is continuing at the same rate these are all quotes from the CEO this morning.
It sounds like it's not having an impact yet how much longer do you think they stay grounded without a resolution to this problem before it starts really having an impact.
While it was a pretty optimistic call today but you know the one thing that is very true about aviation is that safety about wars of vacuum.
And if there is no explanation.
And there is no clear path how to make these planes safer and prevent this from happening again.
It will start to have an impact and probably within the next thirty to sixty days.
-- a look at this mounting evidence having this most recent report that we are talking about -- -- airlines saying ten cases of replacing the batteries in five.
The main battery showed an unexpectedly low charge this is the exact same thing that happened in the ones that caused the problems really led to this grounding.
There -- such an overwhelming slate of evidence that these batteries were working it seems like.
They resisted may be changing it -- changing the design because it would have been so expensive at that point is not a lot about logical conclusion.
While the investigators from the NTSB -- gonna look at all of the internal communications.
And all of the work that was being done on these cents.
On these incidents and see exactly what they were thinking and they'll make a judgment on whether they should of moved it up the chain and and addressed this sooner rather than waiting for this almost catastrophic event.
-- Peter you're actually right this is another case where we're gonna eventually see the email trail.
And that's gonna tell us a lot thank you so much for your time we appreciate you staying on this -- --
