By David Shepardson and Allison Lampert
WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that a panel of experts had determined a software glitch in some Boeing 737 MAX flight computers poses no safety concern, clearing the way for approval of the best-selling narrow-body jet’s largest variant.
The decision removes a late obstacle to certification of the 737 MAX 10, which has been delayed for years. It should also ease concerns at airlines that fly the MAX 7, which uses the same software and was certified by the FAA in August.
The FAA said the determination by the Corrective Action Review Board that met in Seattle on Friday was based on the fact that “pilots retain full control of the aircraft and the indications to the flight crew are clear and unambiguous.”
This week, the FAA said it was delaying certification of the MAX 10 until it completed an analysis of the software issue, which could prevent pilots from accessing automated flight guidance during an unusual landing scenario.
Senior officials at the US regulator were alerted to it in August, nearly two years after Canadian carrier WestJet first flagged the issue to Boeing.
WestJet discovered the anomaly during an entry-into-service test flight, the airline said on Friday in a staff memo seen by Reuters. It said the vertical navigation mode, which automates a plane’s vertical flight path, disengaged during approach.
WestJet, which expects to take the MAX 10 early next year, uses the affected software, U14.1, on its MAX jets.
“WestJet has received no reports of this condition occurring during normal line operations,” the memo said. “Very few occurrences have been reported by other operators using U14 or U14.1 because the condition requires a specific sequence of events.”
Boeing said it “will continue to follow the lead of the FAA as our engineers work on the next software update.” Boeing added it was working with airlines to formalize a procedure that will allow pilots “to re-enable automated vertical navigation should this situation occur.”
The FAA had said the latest software version can increase pilot workload during a go-around, a situation in which a pilot aborts a landing attempt, applies power, and climbs to make another landing attempt.
Major US airlines had opted to use an earlier version of the software while the analysis was underway.
Aviation officials now believe the MAX 10 could be certified as soon as later this month, in line with earlier expectations. The issue could also have affected Southwest Airlines because the same software is used on the newly certified MAX 7 airplane.
Other large airlines, including Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, that have ordered the MAX 10 could also have been impacted by a lengthy delay.
Jefferies said in a research note the decision allows the MAX 10 to be certified before the end of the year and estimated Boeing has nearly 1,500 MAX 10s on order from airlines.
An FAA official said it would issue a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin to US airlines and foreign regulators to ensure they’re aware of Boeing’s bulletin.
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Allison Lampert; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and David Gregorio)
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