Boeing flags software glitch in 737 MAX jets
Boeing has identified a software problem on some 737 MAX aircraft that can reduce automated flight guidance after a missed landing, and the manufacturer is preparing a permanent software update.
The condition can appear when a crew flies a precision approach with autopilot engaged, executes a go-around, and then changes the programmed path for a subsequent approach. In that sequence, the flight management computer may drop vertical navigation (VNAV) and leave the aircraft in a simpler pitch mode. Boeing has told operators the situation is not an immediate safety concern and that existing pilot procedures cover it. As an interim step, it has advised crews to reset the system after a missed approach.
A Boeing spokesperson said the company informed all 737 operators last month. “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.”
The US Federal Aviation Administration said it is reviewing a potential issue in a software update for flight computers on certain 737 MAX airplanes and is working with Boeing and airlines. It said it will convene a Corrective Action Review Board and act at once if it finds a safety concern. Some US airlines have asked Boeing not to deliver new jets with the affected software version.
Boeing has delivered more than 2,400 737 MAX aircraft worldwide. It is not yet public how many of those jets carry the software versions linked to the glitch.
In India, Air India Express and Akasa Air operate about 96 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft between them — roughly 53 and 43 respectively.
Akasa Air said it is coordinating with Boeing and that safety and operations are unaffected. “Our aircraft continue to operate safely in accordance with established procedures and applicable regulatory requirements,” a spokesperson said. Air India Express had not commented. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had not issued an immediate public statement.
Separately, Airbus has found a quality deviation in surface-protection coating on stringers in the lower forward fuselage of a significant number of A321neo aircraft.
Airbus said the source has been identified and contained, a remedy is available, and the matter is a quality issue rather than a safety issue. Affected aircraft can continue to fly.
Sources said about a dozen IndiGo A321neos are involved, with no reported impact on Air India’s A321neo fleet. IndiGo and Air India together operate about 190 of the type. Corrective recoating is expected to take up to two years and does not require removing the stringers.
