Boeing 787 Has Engine Incident (Update1)

Updated from 1:00 p.m. EDT with statement from Boeing.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (TheStreet) -- Federal regulators are looking into engine problems on a Boeing (BA) 787 Dreamliner that caused the Charleston International Airport to temporarily close on Saturday.

In a statement, Boeing said the 787 had an "engine issue" while it was undergoing preflight runway testing. The plane maker also confirmed that the National Transportation Safety Board was investigating the incident.

Debris from the plane's engine fell onto the runway and into nearby grass, causing a grass fire, The Post and Courier of Charleston reported.

In the statement, Boeing said it and General Electric (GE), which made the plane's engine, were cooperating closely with the NTSB.

"While the investigation is in its early stages, we are unaware of any operational issue that would present concerns about the continued safe operation of in-service 787s powered by GE engines," Boeing said in the statement.

> > Bull or Bear? Vote in Our Poll

Nobody was injured in the incident, and it will not affect Boeing's production, a Boeing representative said, according to The Post and Courier.

After the grass fire erupted and debris was found on the runway, the airport closed for one hour and 11 minutes, causing two flights to be diverted, The Post and Courier also reported.

The plane involved in the incident was manufactured at Boeing's new factory in North Charleston. The company is also building Dreamliners at its Everett, Wash. facility.

The 787 is a mid-size, long-range commercial plane built with composite materials. Boeing has said it uses significantly less fuel than similarly sized, more conventional planes.

Shares of Boeing closed Friday up 60 cents, or 0.8%, at $75.51.

This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.