Boeing flags 737 MAX software glitch affecting landing navigation feature: Report

WASHINGTON: Boeing BA.N has identified a previously undisclosed 737 MAX software glitch that could cause an automated navigation feature to fail during landing, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday (Sep 26), citing company documents.

The issue emerged from a cockpit software update and can occur when flight crews alter their planned flight path after a missed approach, the report said.

When reached for comment, Boeing said it informed all 737 operators last month about the software issue under which pilots may not have access to automated flight guidance during a specific landing scenario.

"We shared information with operators that reinforced existing pilot procedures for safely handling such cases. Our engineers are working on a software update to permanently address the issue," Boeing said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of a potential issue in a software update for the flight computers on certain Boeing 737 MAX aeroplanes and was working closely with Boeing and the airlines.

"The FAA will convene a Corrective Action Review Board and will take immediate action if it identifies a safety concern," the FAA said in a statement.

Boeing has been under intense regulatory and safety scrutiny in recent years following two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that led to a worldwide grounding of the aircraft, and after a mid-air cabin panel blowout on a nearly new Alaska Airlines ALK.N MAX 9.

Southwest Airlines LUV.N and United Airlines UAL.O have asked Boeing not to deliver new 737 MAX aircraft equipped with the affected software and instead requested an earlier version, according to WSJ.

It was not immediately clear how many aircraft are operating with the flawed software, the report said. Boeing, airlines and regulators are assessing the issue and whether it poses a flight-safety concern, it added.