WASHINGTON D.C. — A crucial fire-fighting system on Boeing's fleet of 787 Dreamliners was found to have the potential to malfunction, sparking fears among airline pilots.<br /><br />The Guardian reports that Boeing warned airlines using the 787 Dreamliner that the switch used to extinguish engine fires has failed in a 'small number' of instances.<br /><br />According to Boeing's airline alert, long-term heating can cause the fire switch to remain locked so it can't be used to release the two extinguishers in each engine.<br /><br />Boeing claims the risk of fires is low. But a pilot told The Observer that should the switch malfunction during an engine fire, there's no manual override to deploy the extinguishers, and therefore no way of putting the fire out.<br /><br />The Federal Aviation Administration admitted the malfunction is a risk to the flying public, but decided not to ground the fleet. Instead, it issued an airworthiness directive and required airlines to inspect the switches every 30 days.<br /><br />According to the Observer, the pilot community says Boeing's attitude to the risk is upsetting, especially in light of recent issues with the 737 Max. <br /><br />The FAA has declined to comment on the pilots' concerns, saying only that it invited feedback from the airline industry back when its directive was proposed in February.
