FAA wants inspections, not removal, of 787 emergency beacons

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it will call for inspections of emergency locator beacons on U.S. jetliners, but stopped short of requiring airlines to disable or remove the devices blamed for a fire aboard a parked Boeing 787 in London last week.

The agency said it is preparing a so-called airworthiness directive for release next week requiring the inspections, and is working with Boeing to develop instructions for the inspections to ensure proper wire routing and look for wire pinching or unusual moisture or heating.

The beacons, made by Honeywell International , are designed to send out a signal so rescuers can locate the wreckage after a crash.

The FAA said it is continuing to work closely with the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch and with Honeywell in a probe into the July 12 fire aboard an Ethiopian Airlines plane.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa and Alwyn Scott; Editing by Gary Hill)