Eaton Corp collaborating on probe into Dreamliner fuel leak

U.S. industrial manufacturer Eaton Corp is helping with the investigation into the cause of a fuel leak blamed for a fire on one of Boeing's 787 Dreamliners.

"I can confirm we are fully supporting the investigation of the recent 787 fuel incident," an Eaton Corp spokeswoman told Reuters on Wednesday.

"Without speaking about either the incident or investigation, I can tell you that we do supply pumps and valves to the program," she added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Britain's Times newspaper said a factory run by Eaton's UK unit, Eaton Aerospace, may have produced a faulty valve actuator that caused a fuel leak blamed for a fire on one of the Dreamliners.

The paper said the plant in Hampshire, southern England, produced the part linked to the flow of fuel through sections of the plane, citing an official from Japan's transport ministry.

A team of investigators from Japan's transport ministry has flown to Britain and will visit the factory on Wednesday as part of a trip that will last three days, said the report.

Eaton Aerospace referred all queries to Eaton Corp.

A Japan Airlines Co (JAL) 787 suffered two fuel leaks in a matter of days in recent weeks - one at Boston's Logan airport in the United States, then a further spillage at Narita airport in Tokyo.

Japan is the biggest market so far for the Dreamliner, with JAL and local rival All Nippon Airways Co flying 24 of the 50 Dreamliners delivered to date.

A series of recent incidents - the fuel leaks, a battery fire, a wiring problem, a brake computer glitch and a cracked cockpit window - have focused intense scrutiny on the new plane.

Boeing declined to comment on any investigations underway but confirmed Eaton Aerospace was a supplier to the 787 program.

(Reporting by Rhys Jones; Editing by Mark Potter)