Boeing teething problems during first-flight test of 777 Freighter

Boeing on Monday tested its twin-engine 777 Freighter aircraft with a maiden flight lasting over three-and-a-half hours.

Dennis O'Donoghue, Boeing's vice president of flight operations, test and validation, said the freighter performed well but did report a data-communication problem between the airplane and the telemetry room at Boeing Field.

Due to the data-transmission issue, the 777F was unable to complete all of the first-flight tests and was returned to Paine Field in Everett, Wash., per Federal Aviation Administration procedure. The original first-flight plan called for a landing at Boeing Field.

Boeing will identify and fix the problem to resume the flight test program as soon as possible, the company said in a statement. 

The new cargo plane will have a range of 4,885 nautical miles (9,047 kilometers) with a full payload. So far, Boeing has secured 78 firm orders from 11 customers for the 777F, the first of which is to be delivered to launch customer Air France in the fourth quarter. 

Source: American Shipper