Boeing discovers software error in 737 MAX after software update

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, plagued by repeated breakdowns, has discovered a software error in the automatic landing navigation of its 737 MAX model. The company confirmed a corresponding report in the Wall Street Journal on Saturday. Accordingly, the problem can occur after a software update if the crew changes the planned flight route after an aborted landing approach.

Boeing said it informed all 737 operators last month. Boeing referred to existing instructions that pilots can use to deal with such situations. Engineers were working on a permanent solution. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was working closely with Boeing and the airlines. If there are any safety concerns, immediate action will be taken.

Boeing has been under close scrutiny from regulators for years. After two fatal crashes of 737 MAX aircraft in 2018 and 2019, which led to the type being grounded worldwide, the company was plunged into crisis. Most recently, the breakout of a fuselage part during the flight of an almost new Alaska Airlines plane caused renewed safety concerns.

Incident with Boeing plane in Frankfurt

On Saturday, a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Toronto with 371 passengers on board turned around via Scotland for safety reasons and landed in Manchester. The reason was a smell in the cabin, as the company announced upon request. In order to obtain a priority landing, an air emergency was declared. Since the Boeing 747-400 landed with increased weight due to the fuel it was carrying, the fire department checked the aircraft as a precaution. The passengers could then have left the plane normally.