Delivery of the first 787 Dreamliner in September 2011 to All Nippon Airways was a bright start for the new Boeing commercial jet.

Wednesday’s grounding of U.S.-registered, Boeing 787 aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration is a rare indignity. The emergency airworthiness directive was issued over worries about a fire hazards due to battery failures. All Nippon and Japan Airlines had already grounded their planes.

Caution is appropriate, of course. An in-flight incident and one on the ground in Boston could not be ignored. One cannot know if this is a legacy of a plane built in bits and pieces beyond the company’s usual span of control. The FAA does not know either, and the agency’s statement on Wednesday noted its “continuing review of the aircraft’s design, manufacture and assembly.” Everything is getting a deep look.

Boeing builds the best planes. A company rich with talent will solve this mystery, and get the 787 back to work.