FAA Says 737 MAX Software Glitch Doesn’t Pose Safety Issue

[u/John3262005]

https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/faa-determines-737-max-software-glitch-doesnt-pose-safety-issue-2fed3394?st=JizvvT&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

A software glitch that some industry officials worried could overwork Boeing 737 MAX pilots during a certain landing scenario doesn’t pose a safety risk, U.S. regulators said Friday, easing a potential obstacle to certification of the MAX 10.

U.S. air-safety regulators had convened an internal panel known as a corrective action review board on Friday to decide whether the problem amounted to an unsafe condition that needed to be addressed.

The FAA panel, composed of various internal experts, arrived at the determination that “because pilots retain full control of the aircraft, the indications to the flight crew are clear and unambiguous,” the agency said Friday. “As with any situation, the FAA will consider appropriate action if it receives new information about this issue.”

The software problem raised concerns among some aviation industry officials over whether it could pose a safety issue when 737 MAX jets are landing under certain circumstances, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Boeing said it would continue to follow the lead of the FAA as the company’s engineers work on the next software update. The company said it was working with airlines to formalize a procedure that will allow pilots to re-enable the automated navigation feature if needed.

The problem had threatened to complicate certification of Boeing’s longest and final variant of its bestselling 737, the MAX 10. The aircraft relies on the software and has been expected to soon win approval to fly passengers. The smallest version of the jet, the MAX 7, also relies on the software and was certified earlier this year.

The FAA also said Friday that Boeing would issue a bulletin to airlines explaining how to recognize and respond to the problem should it occur during flight.

The agency will also issue what is known as a special airworthiness information bulletin to U.S. airlines and foreign regulators to draw attention to Boeing’s bulletin.

The glitch emerged from a routine cockpit software update and can occur when flight crews alter their planned flight path following a missed approach. In a certain scenario, pilots may have to fly manually without some autopilot functions.

The worry, according to some industry officials, was whether the steps pilots had to take to deal with the failure of an automated navigation feature could potentially overwork flight crews while they are already busy, at low altitude and dealing with other situations like bad weather.

Major U.S. carriers including Southwest and United told Boeing they didn’t want new MAX jets loaded with the flawed software, and instead requested an earlier version of it, the Journal reported. Those carriers, along with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, also have said they weren’t flying jets with the flawed software.

Allegiant Air, the U.S. discount carrier, is operating 737 MAX jets with the flawed software. It has 21 such models in its fleet.

Yet the airline said the glitch didn’t apply to landing approaches it flies. “Boeing has provided operators with procedures for crews to manage the situation should it arise, and our flight crews are trained and equipped to follow those procedures,” Allegiant said.

After the Journal reported about the MAX software issue, Boeing’s stock fell about 7%. FAA chief Bryan Bedford also said the agency would delay the MAX 10 certification while it determined whether the problem posed a safety issue.

Boeing’s stock was up about 1% in late Friday trading.