Boeing 737 MAX 10 Certification Delayed by Software Bug
US air safety regulators are delaying certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 due to a software bug that causes an automated navigation feature to fail when planes shift their approach to landing. The issue stems from a cockpit software update, which pilots can work around by training for these scenarios.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will convene an advisory board and take immediate action if it identifies a safety concern. Boeing engineers are working on a software update to permanently address the problem.
Shares of Boeing fell sharply after news of the issue surfaced, dropping 6.9% to $184.39. The company had staked its turnaround in part on growth of 737 MAX production, which was heavily delayed by safety problems.
The FAA certified the smaller 737 MAX 7 on August 3 and described the software issue as 'very different' from the flaw that led to two deadly MAX crashes.