FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Monday that the agency will delay certification of Boeing’s 737 Max 10 as it works to determine whether a newly reported software glitch “is a safety of flight issue or not.” Certification of the Max 10 was expected as soon as this month, but Bedford said that will not happen “until we’re satisfied that we don’t have an issue.”
The Wall Street Journal, which was first to report the glitch on Saturday, said it emerged from a software update developed by GE Aerospace for the 737 Max flight management computer’s (FMC) operating system. The issue reportedly manifests when a pilot flying a precision approach with autopilot engaged initiates a missed approach. The malfunction causes the jet’s automated flight guidance system to incorrectly drop from VNAV to basic pitch control—which requires the pilots to handle pitch and navigation adjustments—if the preprogrammed flight plan is changed.
