An investigation was under way yesterday after a Boeing 787 jet on a test flight over Texas made an emergency landing when smoke was detected in the main cabin.
The incident was the latest setback in the development of the new plane.
The jet landed safely in Laredo and the crew was evacuated, Boeing spokeswoman Loretta Gunter said. Boeing was still gathering information about the incident, she said.
The smoke appeared in the rear cabin of the plane, furthest from the cockpit, said Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The pilot landed and advised he was declaring an emergency,” said Mr Lunsford, who added that the airport fire department was called to the scene. He said the FAA would look into the incident.
Boeing said one person received a minor injury as the crew of 30 to 40 people were being evacuated down exit slides.
The 787 is made of composite material designed to make it lighter and more fuel-efficient, but Boeing has run into a series of delays in developing the big, two-aisle passenger plane.
Boeing has said it will deliver the first production models of the 787 to Japan’s All Nippon Airways in the middle of the first quarter of next year – about three years behind schedule.
Development of the aircraft has been pushed back several times by snags including availability of Rolls-Royce engines and supplier workmanship issues.
The company halted test flights last summer after finding that some parts in the tail were not properly installed.
It was unclear whether Tuesday’s incident would add to the delays.
Boeing is conducting flight tests with several 787s, some with Rolls-Royce engines, which will be the first mod-els delivered to airlines, and others with General Electric engines.
The company said last month it had completed take-off and handling tests for the initial version of the plane but that more testing was needed for 787s with GE engines.
Boeing is relying on suppliers from around the US and the world to build components for the plane. It has taken 847 orders from 56 customers.