FAA orders inspection of Dreamliners for fuel leaks

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of all 787 Dreamliners in service in the U.S. to make sure that fuel-line connectors have been installed correctly, according to news reports.

The order follows reports of two fuel leaks on Dreamliners operated by foreign airlines, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The requirement issued Wednesday "makes mandatory inspections already recommended by Boeing," the Chicago-based company told Reuters.

In its order, the FAA said "the potential hazard of a fuel leak is running out of fuel, engine power loss or shutdown, and that fuel leaking onto hot engine parts could cause a fire," the Chicago Tribune reports.

Boeing told the Tribune that there were "multiple layers of systems to ensure none of those things happen."

The FAA expects the inspections will cost $2,712 per plane. Boeing told the Tribune it had already recommended such inspections prior to the FAA order and that inspections have already been completed on about half of the 33 jets in service worldwide.

Still, the Tribune notes, "While such an order for mandatory safety inspections isn't unusual for a new aircraft, it's another ding to Boeing's reputation regarding the 787, which was more than three years late being delivered to customers."

In the U.S., only Chicago-based United Airlines is affected by the FAA order because it is the only domestic carrier to operate the Dreamliner. In recent months, it has taken delivery of three of the aircraft.

The FAA order is unrelated to the emergency landing Tuesday of a United Airlines 787 carrying 184 people from Houston to Newark. The plane made an emergency landing in New Orleans because of a mechanical issue that Boeing and United are now investigating, the Tribune reported. No one was hurt.

United said a failed electrical generator was responsible for the emergency landing, according to the Associated Press. One of the plane's six electrical generators failed. Pilots discovered the failure from an alert in the cockpit.

The plane has been grounded while the generator is replaced.