FAA Orders Boeing 787 Inspections to Fix Water Leak Issues

‍DALLAS — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has adopted AD 2025‑09‑12, effective June 18, 2025, mandating inspections and on‑condition sealant repairs on select Boeing 787‑8, ‑9, and ‑10 series airplanes. 

This action was prompted by reports of potable‑water‑system leaks—stemming from improperly installed waterline couplings—that allowed water to seep into electronics equipment (EE) bays, risking electrical shorts and potential loss of critical flight systems.

Under the new AD, operators must perform a detailed inspection of the floor‑seat tracks above the aft EE bays to check for missing, damaged, or deteriorated sealant, moisture‑barrier tape, and tape dams, following Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin B787‑81205‑SB530085‑00 RB, Issue 001 (dated March 6, 2024). 

Any deficiencies must be corrected by applying new sealant, barrier tape, or tape dams before further flight. Compliance is required within the intervals specified in the bulletin, but no later than five years from the AD’s effective date.

The FAA estimates the inspection will take up to 22 work‑hours per airplane (at an average labor rate of US$85/hour), with follow‑on repairs, if needed, taking up to 33 hours plus parts. All costs may be covered under Boeing’s warranty programs. 

47 U.S.‑registered Boeing 787s are affected. Operators of aircraft compliant with the previous AD 2016‑14‑04 need to take no additional action under this new directive. We can recall that, due to horizontal stabilizer misalignment concerns, the FAA recently proposed a mandated inspection for all US-registered 787s. 

138 Boeing 787s registered in the U.S. are active, stored, or undergoing maintenance. This includes a mix of the aforementioned Dreamliner models operated by United Airlines (UA), American Airlines (AA), and Hawaiian Airlines (HA).