I worked on the 757, and got it hammered into me how to do failsafe design.
I don't know the failsafe design of the 787, but I have faith that Boeing, the FAA, and the aerospace engineers know what they're doing with failsafe design.
WalterBright I have a great deal of appreciation and respect for nearly everything you've said in this thread up to the point where you declare to have "faith" in Boeing and the FAA. Engineering critical systems and faith of any kind don't belong together.
I often point out in aviation-related threads the striking difference between aircraft engineering in the past and today.
In 1989, a DC-10 operating United flight 232 suffered an uncontained engine failure which damaged the tail and disabled flight controls, resulting in 111 deaths (and could have been more, but in a freak of chance, a DC-10 flight instructor was on board and was able to assist the crew in landing, which may have made the difference for the other 185 people on board). In 2010, an Airbus A380 operating Qantas flight 32 suffered an uncontained engine failure which damaged a wing, disabled a hydraulic system and braking systems, and disabled some flight controls while starting a fire. It resulted in... zero deaths.
In the early 1990s, Boeing 737-200 and 737-300 aircraft had a variety of uncommanded rudder movement issues, resulting in at least 157 deaths. In 2012-2013, the 787's battery fires resulted in... zero deaths.
In other words, the main difference between "then" and "now" is exactly the opposite of the usual arguments against modern aircraft development: more recent aircraft, when they have serious issues, result in fewer injuries and deaths than older aircraft when they experienced serious issues.
This track record of improvement gives justifiable faith that modern aircraft development is safer.
I don't think anyone should be especially reassured that no airframes have been lost due to battery fires. If any of the 787 battery fires that occurred on the ground had occurred in flight it isn't clear the aircraft would have survived.
If any of the 787 battery fires that occurred on the ground had occurred in flight it isn't clear the aircraft would have survived.
There was an in-flight fire, on an ANA 787. It made an emergency landing and the plane was evacuated. No lives were lost, and the airframe was not lost.
I don't know the failsafe design of the 787, but I have faith that Boeing, the FAA, and the aerospace engineers know what they're doing with failsafe design.