Overview
- Boeing told operators in late August that a cockpit software update can cause pilots to lose access to some automated flight guidance on a subsequent approach after a missed landing.
- The defect can appear when crews alter a preprogrammed flight path following a missed approach and may make automated vertical navigation and other autopilot functions unavailable.
- Boeing has told airlines to reinforce existing pilot procedures, said engineers are developing a permanent software update, and offered the option to revert affected aircraft to an older software version.
- The Federal Aviation Administration is assessing the problem, will review Boeing’s proposed fix and may convene a Corrective Action Review Board; several large carriers have asked Boeing not to accept new MAX deliveries with the affected software and say none of their in-service MAX jets have it.
- The issue arrives against sustained scrutiny of the MAX after past software and manufacturing crises, and visibility is limited because airlines are not required to tell Boeing when they install software upgrades, a factor that could affect deliveries and certification timetables.