FAA says Boeing 737 MAX software glitch poses no safety risk

FAA determination

The FAA’s Corrective Action Review Board determined that the software glitch on some Boeing 737 MAX aircraft poses no safety risk.

Glitch description

The anomaly occurs on MAX aircraft using a certain version of the flight software when a pilot alters the pre‑programmed flight path, causing the aircraft to switch from vertical navigation mode to a simpler level of automation and requiring pilots to perform extra steps for the next approach landing.

WestJet first flagged the issue during an entry‑into‑service test flight, noting that vertical navigation mode disengaged during approach on the affected U14.1 software, and the airline has reported no occurrences of the condition during normal line operations.

Certification impact

The FAA said it is delaying certification of the MAX 10 until it completes an analysis of the software issue, but believes the model could be certified as soon as later this month.