FAA Clears Boeing's 737 MAX 10 for Certification After Software Glitch

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given its blessing to Boeing's 737 MAX 10, clearing the way for certification after a software glitch was deemed not to pose a safety concern.

The Corrective Action Review Board met in Seattle on Friday and determined that pilots retain full control of the aircraft and the indications to the flight crew are clear and unambiguous. This decision removes a late obstacle to certification of the 737 MAX 10, which has been delayed for years.

Boeing's 737 MAX 7, which uses the same software, was certified by the FAA in August. WestJet discovered the anomaly during an entry-into-service test flight and reported that 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 its engineers work on the next software update, which will allow pilots to re-enable automated vertical navigation in case of an unusual landing scenario.