Boeing discovers software errors in the 737 Max

After two 737 Max crashes, Boeing is under strict observation by US regulators. After a software update, the manufacturer is now reporting a problem that can occur after an aborted landing approach.

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. 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.

According to the newspaper report, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines have asked Boeing not to deliver new planes with the affected software for the time being and instead requested an earlier version. How many aircraft are currently in use with the faulty program is currently unknown.

In 2018 and 2019, two Boeing 737 Max passenger planes crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia within a few months, killing a total of 346 people. The main cause was identified as a faulty, background control system called MCAS, which pushed the aircraft nose towards the ground in an uncontrolled manner due to incorrect sensor data. The disasters exposed serious design flaws and certification failures and led to a nearly two-year worldwide ban on the model. Most recently, the breakout of a fuselage part during the flight of an almost new Alaska Airlines plane caused renewed safety concerns.