Former CBS newsman and anchor Dan Rather, now with HDNet, will have a special report on the 787 that airs Tuesday, Sept. 18. The subject is whether new composite jets like the 787 are safe.
Boeing recently completed a test in which a section of the 787 composite fuselage was dropped from a height of 15 feet to simulate a crash landing. Boeing has said the test was a success.
This is part of the Associated Press story the P-I ran about that test:
The Boeing Co. said Thursday that results from a recent test on a 787 fuselage section matched computer predictions, eliminating the need for some physical tests.
During last month's test, Boeing dropped a 10-foot-long fuselage section made of carbon-fiber composites from a height of 15 feet to simulate the impact of an emergency landing.
The company is not releasing detailed test results because it considers the information proprietary.
But because results matched what Boeing's engineers had predicted, the company can model various crash scenarios using computational analysis rather than performing more tests on actual pieces of the plane, Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter said.
The 787 is the first large commercial jetliner made mostly from carbon fiber-reinforced plastics, which are lighter and sturdier than aluminum. However, they are also more brittle and less shock absorbent.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered Boeing to prove that the 787 is as crashworthy as an aluminum plane.
The recent test was the final in a series of three. The two others also confirmed Boeing's computational analysis, the company said.
Below is the media advisory I received detailing Dan Rather's 787 report that airs Sept. 18:
WHAT: In an exclusive interview with Dan Rather, Vince Weldon, a 46-year veteran of Boeing and a pioneer in aerospace design, talks about major safety problems affecting the brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Speaking only to DAN RATHER REPORTS, Weldon says that Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner has major safety problems stemming from its design and use of reinforced plastics --called composites-- that will make the plane unfit to withstand survivable crash landings.
Weldon describes how the composite fuselage will "shatter, not crumple" in a crash landing. He also says that the type of composites used for the exterior of the 787 makes passengers more vulnerable to toxic fumes in the event of fire. Weldon believes it will be very difficult for Boeing to make the 787 as safe as an aluminum plane and he adds that Boeing management repeatedly ignored his concerns and those of his colleagues about the plane's design.
Boeing says that they work diligently to ensure that their designs enhance the safety of their airplanes. Boeing says they are doing extensive tests to ensure the 787 is crashworthy and airworthy. The Federal Aviation Administration says it will not sign off on the 787 unless it meets all safety regulations.
WHEN:The DAN RATHER REPORTS interview with Vince Weldon can be seen on HDNet this Tuesday, September 18 at 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT.
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