FAA too reliant on Boeing for battery test

NEW YORK - A new report says the government failed to properly test the lithium-ion batteries on the Boeing 787 and relied too much on the company for technical expertise.

The National Transportation Safety Board Thursday criticized the process used by the Federal Aviation Administration to certify the new jet in 2007. It also recommends that FAA look outside the aviation industry for independent technical expertise.

The 787 is the first commercial jet to rely on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to power key systems. Two incidents last year involving the batteries on separate planes led to a worldwide grounding of the 787 fleet.

The NTSB report directly conflicts with the FAA's internal study of the issue, which said the agency's processes were effective in identifying and correcting issues with the aircraft.