SEATTLE, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Aviation experts say the technical issues reported after the maiden flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner over Seattle were relatively minor.
Minor problems were noted with the brakes and landing gear on the jet during its two-hour test flight, according to radio transmissions monitored by The Seattle Times.
The newspaper said Wednesday the descriptions led experts to conclude there were no major problems with the plane.
"These are things you always have on a test flight," air safety analyst John Nance said.
The most visible development appeared to be a balky nose landing gear, which the pilot raised and lowered several times in an effort to get it perfectly straight. The pilot of a chase plane reported by radio that the drag-brace strut on the gear was sometimes straight but other times had "about a 15-degree angle to it."
Another problem was an indication of a possibly overheated brake that led the pilot to shut the plane down on the taxiway after landing.
Boeing told the Times the problems were being addressed and that the purpose of test flights is to identify and correct various glitches.
