B787 fire at Heathrow linked to wiring

[NEW YORK] UK investigators linked the fire on board a parked Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner at London's Heathrow Airport last year to faulty wiring in the plane's emergency locator transmitter.

The blaze began in a battery in the unit made by Honeywell International, the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch said in a report released yesterday. The battery wires were improperly installed, and an inspection of the beacon's flame-damaged case suggested a short circuit, the agency said.

"This incident has highlighted that better coordination is required between battery manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, aircraft manufacturers and regulators to ensure equipment-level and aircraft-level safety," the agency said.