Published Date: 2013-01-13
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident of a computer malfunctioning in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner occurred on January 9, 2013, as reported in Article 16679. |
| System | unknown |
| Responsible Organization | 1. The software failure incident in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner incidents was not directly caused by a software issue. The reported problems included fuel leaks, cockpit window cracks, computer malfunctions, brake failures, and battery overheating in the auxiliary power system. These incidents were related to various mechanical and electrical issues rather than software failures [16679]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Japan Airlines - reported a fuel leak in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the second time in a week [16679] 2. All Nippon Airways - experienced a fuel leak, a cockpit window crack, and a computer malfunctioning in its 787s, causing cancellations of several domestic flights [16679] |
| Software Causes | unknown |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Fuel leak incidents at Narita Airport and Boston's Logan International Airport [16679, 16679] 2. Crack in cockpit windscreen during flight [16679] 3. Fire in a Dreamliner after dropping off passengers in Boston [16679] 4. Brake failure incident [16679] 5. Battery overheating in the jet's auxiliary power system [16679] 6. Mechanical issue leading to an emergency landing in New Orleans [16679] 7. Electrical problems leading to grounding of a Dreamliner by Qatar Airways [16679] 8. Debris from a Dreamliner's engine causing a fire at a South Carolina airport [16679] 9. Cracks in the forward end of a fan midshaft in one of the engines [16679] 10. Signs of 'delamination' occurring on a support structure in the Dreamliner's rear fuselage [16679] |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner led to a series of malfunctions and issues, including a fuel leak, cockpit window crack, and computer malfunction in various flights [16679]. 2. The incident resulted in the cancellation of several domestic flights by Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways due to the fuel leak and other problems [16679]. 3. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a comprehensive review into the cause of the various problems and scares experienced by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, leading to an embarrassing setback for the aircraft [16679]. 4. The software failure incident raised concerns about the safety and reliability of the 787 Dreamliner, which was heralded as the future of aviation but faced multiple issues shortly after its launch [16679]. |
| Preventions | 1. Implementing thorough software testing procedures during the design, manufacture, and assembly stages of the aircraft [16679]. 2. Conducting regular software maintenance and updates to address any potential vulnerabilities or bugs that could lead to failures [16679]. 3. Enhancing the monitoring and detection systems for software-related issues to prevent incidents like fuel leaks, cockpit window cracks, and computer malfunctions [16679]. 4. Ensuring proper training for maintenance personnel to handle software-related issues effectively and promptly [16679]. |
| Fixes | 1. Conducting a comprehensive review of the design, manufacture, and assembly of the aircraft [16679] 2. Addressing any identified issues with the electrical signals that power various systems on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner [16679] 3. Implementing necessary software updates or patches to rectify any bugs or faults that may have contributed to the incidents [16679] | References | 1. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - The articles mention that the FAA ordered a comprehensive review into the cause of various problems and scares related to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner [16679]. 2. All Nippon Airways (ANA) - ANA reported incidents such as a fuel leak, cockpit window crack, and a computer malfunction in its 787s, leading to flight cancellations [16679]. 3. Japan Airlines (JAL) - JAL reported a fuel leak in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the second time in a week [16679]. |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - Japan Airlines reported a fuel leak in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the second time in a week, with the latest incident being a 100-liter fuel leak at Tokyo's Narita Airport [16679]. - The aircraft involved in the recent fuel leak incident at Narita Airport was reportedly the same one that had a fuel leak in Boston the previous week [16679]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - All Nippon Airways also experienced a fuel leak, a cockpit window crack, and a computer malfunction in its 787s, leading to the cancellation of several domestic flights [16679]. - Qatar Airways grounded one of its Dreamliners after facing several similar faults that caused electrical problems [16679]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | unknown | The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to the development phases such as design or operation. Therefore, it is unknown whether the reported software failure incidents were due to contributing factors introduced during system development, system updates, or procedures to operate or maintain the system. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) within_system: The software failure incidents reported in the news articles are primarily related to issues within the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft system itself. These incidents include a crack in the cockpit windscreen, a computer malfunction, a fuel leak, a brake failure, and an onboard fire [16679]. (b) outside_system: There is no specific mention of software failure incidents in the articles that are directly attributed to contributing factors originating from outside the Boeing 787 Dreamliner system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | unknown | (a) The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to non-human actions. Therefore, it is unknown. (b) The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to human actions. Therefore, it is unknown. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | software | (a) The articles do not mention any specific software failure incident related to hardware issues. (b) The software failure incidents reported in the articles are not directly related to hardware issues but rather to various malfunctions and faults in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. These incidents include fuel leaks, cockpit window cracks, computer malfunctions, brake failures, and fires, which are not attributed to hardware issues but rather to software or design flaws in the aircraft systems [16679]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | non-malicious | (a) The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to malicious intent or actions by humans to harm the system. Therefore, there is no information available on a malicious software failure incident in the provided articles. (b) The software failure incidents reported in the articles are related to non-malicious factors such as design, manufacture, assembly, and technical issues. These incidents include a crack in the cockpit windscreen, fuel leaks, a computer malfunction, brake failure, and an onboard fire. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a comprehensive review into the cause of these problems, focusing on the design, manufacture, and assembly of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft [16679]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | unknown | The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to poor_decisions or accidental_decisions. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | accidental | (a) The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to development incompetence. (b) The software failure incidents reported in the articles are not related to accidental factors but rather to various mechanical and electrical issues with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, such as fuel leaks, cockpit window cracks, computer malfunctions, brake failures, and fires. |
| Duration | unknown | The articles do not mention any software failure incident related to the duration of the failure being permanent or temporary. Therefore, the information regarding the duration of the software failure incident is unknown. |
| Behaviour | crash | (a) crash: The software failure incident related to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner incidents can be categorized as a crash. The incidents mentioned in the articles describe failures where the system lost its state and did not perform its intended functions, such as a fuel leak, cockpit window crack, computer malfunction, brake failure, and on-board fire [16679]. These incidents led to cancellations of flights and emergency landings, indicating a failure of the system to operate as expected, resulting in a loss of functionality. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | no_consequence | The articles do not mention any software failure incident leading to consequences such as death, harm, basic needs impact, property loss, or delays. There were no observed real consequences of the software failure mentioned in the articles [16679]. |
| Domain | transportation | (a) The failed system was related to the transportation industry, specifically the aviation sector. The software failure incident involved the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which experienced multiple issues such as fuel leaks, cockpit window cracks, computer malfunctions, and brake failures [16679]. |
Article ID: 16679