FAA mandates G280 wiring retrofit, effective 12 June

The FAA has issued a final airworthiness directive for the Gulfstream G280. The rule becomes effective on 12 June 2026. It requires a retrofit of the empennage flight-controls electrical harness on affected aircraft.

The directive follows reports of water accumulation in electrical connectors located in the aft fuselage, just below the empennage. The water has produced crew-alerting system messages tied to empennage flight controls. The FAA stated that the condition, combined with other failures, could result in loss of controllability of the aircraft.

The mandated action is a retrofit of the empennage electrical harness. Operators of affected aircraft will need to schedule the work with Gulfstream service centres. The final rule was published in the Federal Register on 8 May 2026, following a notice of proposed rulemaking in January.

For G280 owners, the AD sets a hard compliance window. Aircraft already showing the relevant CAS messages are likely candidates. The published summary does not give per-aircraft cost or downtime estimates; the AD itself lists the specific serial numbers in scope and the inspection procedures.

Gulfstream's G280 entered service in 2012. The directive applies to certain serial numbers within that production run, not the entire fleet. Owners and operators should confirm whether their aircraft is in scope before the 12 June effective date.

Source: FAA AD 2026-09170, Federal Register, 8 May 2026; GlobalAir.