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Boeing faces a new setback to its efforts to launch the final two 737 Max models into commercial service after years of delays: a flight management software issue that may add to pilots’ workload as they grapple with a missed landing approach.
The software glitch, which emerged nearly two years ago, is drawing fresh scrutiny from U.S. regulators and airline customers at a particularly inopportune time for Boeing.
The company was thought to be days away from finally certifying the 737 Max 10, which is crucial to the manufacturer’s efforts to unlock cash from its record narrowbody order backlog. Boeing is also preparing to begin deliveries of the Max 7, which was certified in August with the potentially problematic software update in place.
The timing for both milestones will in large part depend on the outcome of a safety review by the Federal Aviation Administration, sources tell The Air Current. The agency said in a statement Saturday that it will convene a Corrective Action Review Board and “will take immediate action if it identifies a safety concern.”
Boeing says its engineers are working on an update to permanently address the issue, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. In the meantime, the company is reinforcing with airlines the piloting procedures for re-engaging automated vertical navigation, the function at the center of the FAA’s safety review.
“Last month, we informed all 737 operators about a software issue where pilots may not have access to automated flight guidance during a specific landing scenario. We shared information with operators that reinforced existing pilot procedures for safely handling such cases,” a Boeing spokesman said.
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