Incident: JL007 from Boston to Tokyo Narita returned to Boston after takeoff [Update 3]

Flight status of JL007 shown on JAL website

[Update: Added flight load]
[Update 2: Added flight cancelation notice]
[Update 3: Added description from JAL daily 787 operation update]

A Japan Airlines (JAL) 787-8 performing flight JL007 from Boston (BOS) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) has returned to Boston after takeoff due to aircraft maintenance on July 18 2013. The plane landed safely at 18:16 EDT.

2013-07-18 JL007 flight path. Image by FlightAware

According to planefinder.net, the plane registration is JA822J, one of the first 2 787s delivered to JAL. Boston.com reports that no emergency was declared and the pilots only turned back as a precaution because maintenance message indictor was displayed.

According to jiji.com, JAL indicates the warning message was related to the fuel pump on the right engine. But JAL reiterates that it does not mean the fuel was cut off at any point during the flight. The plane was carrying 186 passengers and 12 crew members. So the plane was almost full as all JAL configured its 788 to carry 186 passengers (42 Business Class, 144 Economy Class) only. No one was injured.

JAL posted a flight cancelation notice for JL007 on its website.

JAL has just posted a flight cancelation notice on its website regarding today's JL007 flight. So that means JAL won't be resuming today's JL007 service. All passengers will be rerouted as a result.

JAL had updated its daily 787 operation status to include description on this incident.

During flight, a fuel pump which supplied the fuel to the right engine failed. Though the fuel was being supplied normally, the airplane decided to return to Boston for the maintenance activities. Approx. five hours later from takeoff, the airplane landed safely. At Boston, the maintenance activities including fuel pump replacement will be conducted and these activities take time, so JAL7 was canceled.

This is not the first time JA822J had maintenance issue. The first time it went tech was actually on its third commercial flight, which also happened to be JL007. That flight was delayed for 24 hours as a result.