Jan 9th 2026 : An American Airlines Boeing 777-200 operating a long-haul international service was forced to return to its departure airport shortly after reaching cruise altitude due to a cabin water system issue.
The aircraft, registered N797AN, was performing flight AA-83 from Los Angeles, California, to Auckland, New Zealand. After departure from Los Angeles, the flight climbed normally and had just levelled off at its initial cruise altitude of FL320 when the flight crew decided to discontinue the flight and return.
The return was prompted by a water leak in the aircraft’s lavatory system, which rendered multiple lavatories unusable. According to a passenger account, a flooding toilet caused a strong stench in the cabin, significantly affecting passenger comfort on the ultra-long-haul sector.
While the issue did not pose a direct safety threat to the aircraft, the loss of several lavatories on a flight of this length made continuation impractical.
The Boeing 777 returned to Los Angeles International Airport, where it landed safely on runway 07L approximately 55 minutes after departure. There were no injuries reported, and the aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power.
American Airlines arranged for a replacement Boeing 777-200, registration N765AN, to operate the service. The substitute aircraft subsequently departed and reached Auckland with a delay of about 19 hours.
The occurrence highlights how non-safety-critical technical issues can still have major operational impacts, particularly on long-haul flights where cabin systems play an essential role in passenger comfort and regulatory compliance.
