Boeing 787 makes emergency landing on test flight over Texas

Boeing 787 jetliner on a test flight over Texas made an emergency landing Tuesday after smoke was detected in the main cabin.

It was the latest of several setbacks in the development of the new plane.

The plane landed safely in Laredo and the crew was evacuated, Boeing spokeswoman Loretta Gunter said. Boeing is still gathering information about the incident, she said.

The smoke appeared in the rear cabin of the plane, farthest from the cockpit, said Lynn Lunsford, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

“The pilot landed and advised he was declaring an emergency,” and the airport fire department was called to the scene, Lunsford said. He said the FAA would look into the incident.

Boeing said one person suffered a minor injury as the crew of 42 people was being evacuated down exit slides. The cause of the smoke was unknown Tuesday night, Gunter said.

The 787, which Boeing calls the Dreamliner, is made of composite material designed to make it lighter and more fuel-efficient, but Boeing has run into a series of delays in developing the big, two-aisle passenger plane.