Overview
- Boeing told operators in late August about a previously undisclosed flight‑management computer defect that can cause VNAV, the automated vertical navigation mode, to disengage when crews perform a missed approach and then change the programmed flight path.
- The Federal Aviation Administration convened a Corrective Action Review Board and announced on Monday that it will delay type certification of the 737 MAX 10 until regulators are satisfied the issue is fixed.
- Boeing has reinforced interim pilot procedures to reset or restore automation and said its engineers are developing a permanent software update that it now aims to accelerate from an original early‑2028 target.
- Major U.S. carriers including Southwest and United have asked Boeing not to accept new MAX deliveries fitted with the affected software version and have requested earlier software instead, while several airlines say none of their active aircraft use the problematic release.
- The flaw adds to scrutiny of the MAX program because the affected FMC software (versions 14 and 14.1) was installed on recently certified or test aircraft, regulators and airlines do not have a complete count of installations, and the delay could affect Boeing’s delivery schedule and market recovery.