The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring inspections of certain Boeing 787 fuel-tank sealant installations after a report that required visual and adhesion inspections were not performed during production. The directive takes effect December 7, 2026.
The FAA estimates it affects 60 airplanes on the U.S. registry. The directive applies to certain 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 models identified in the referenced Boeing requirements bulletin; it does not say every airplane of those models is affected.
What operators must check
The final directive requires a detailed inspection of identified sealant installations in the left, right and center wing side-of-body areas, an adhesion test and applicable actions based on the results. It refers operators to a Boeing requirements bulletin for the procedures and compliance times, with exceptions stated in the directive.
Where the bulletin calls for contacting Boeing for repair instructions, the directive requires a repair method approved under its specified procedures. For sealant installations, it also identifies compliance with six listed airworthiness limitations, as applicable, as an acceptable repair.
Why the FAA acted
The agency says the directive addresses the potential for sealant defects. If the unsafe condition is not addressed, the FAA says, an ignition source could develop within the fuel tank volume, creating a risk of a fuel-tank explosion during a lightning strike. That is the risk the rule describes; the directive does not report such an explosion.
Responding to a question from the Foundation for Aviation Safety, the FAA said the directive covers particular airplanes because evidence did not substantiate that required production inspections had been completed on them. It said it confirmed that the inspections are being performed during production on airplanes outside the directive's scope.
Costs and limits
The FAA estimates the detailed inspection and adhesion test at 34 work-hours and $2,890 per airplane. It says it lacks definitive data to estimate the cost of repairs that may be required. The 60-airplane estimate concerns the U.S. registry, not a worldwide count.