FAA confirms software failure on some Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and determines it does not involve flight safety

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed a new software glitch on some Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, but determined that the problem does not involve flight safety. Schematic diagram. (Reuters)

[Financial Channel/Comprehensive Report] The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday (2nd) that it had confirmed a new software glitch on some Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, but determined that the problem did not involve flight safety.

"CNBC" reported that Boeing reported this software problem in September, noting that it may affect some landing procedures; the FAA said on Monday (September 28) that it was conducting a review to determine whether the problem related to flight safety.

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The FAA said: "After a thorough review, an FAA safety expert panel determined Friday that software issues in some Boeing 737 MAX flight computers did not pose a safety concern. The FAA's Corrective Action Review Board made this determination because the pilots still had full control of the aircraft and the relevant instructions provided to the crew were clear and unambiguous."

Boeing said the problem may occur when pilots change a pre-programmed flight path after performing a re-flight; on subsequent approaches, pilots must perform additional steps before using automated tools.

The FAA said Friday that if the problem occurs, it will issue a special advisory to explain to airlines how to identify and respond to the situation.

The FAA convened a review committee on Friday to evaluate the issue. Participants include FAA experts in the fields of airframes, flight controls, propulsion systems, flight testing, and other experts.

"As with any situation, if new information is received regarding this issue, the FAA will consider appropriate actions," the FAA said.

U.S. airlines said they were not affected by the problem because they could switch back to an older version of the software, but the issue still raised questions about the progress of Boeing's 737 MAX 10 certification. Boeing and the airlines had expected the plane to be certified in early fall.

The MAX 10 is the largest model in the 737 MAX series and the last model in the MAX series waiting for flight certification from the U.S. government. The FAA approved the certification of the MAX 7, the smallest model in the MAX series, in August.

The chief executives of 737 MAX 10 customers Alaska Airlines and Ryanair earlier this week downplayed concerns about certification delays for the plane.

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