US regulator finds Boeing 737 MAX software bug 'not a safety concern'

A software bug that delayed the US certification of Boeing's 737 MAX 10 aircraft does not pose a safety concern, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday after an investigation.

The glitch was found in a cockpit software update to the plane model and can cause an automated navigation feature to fail when planes shift their approach to landing.

"Following a thorough review, a panel of FAA safety experts on Friday determined a software issue in certain Boeing 737 MAX flight computers is not a safety concern," the US regulatory agency said in a statement.

The FAA's review board reached this conclusion about the software bug's safety "because pilots retain full control of the aircraft and the indications to the flight crew are clear and unambiguous."

"As with any situation, the FAA will consider appropriate action if it receives new information about this issue."

Boeing will also send a bulletin to airlines detailing the issue and instructing employees how to recognize and respond to the situation should it take place.

"We will continue to follow the lead of the FAA as our engineers work on the next software update," Boeing said in a statement to AFP.

The aerospace giant on Monday said it had "informed all 737 operators about a software issue where pilots may not have access to automated flight guidance during a specific landing scenario."

Boeing on Friday added that it was working to formalize a procedure with airlines that would allow pilots to restore automated flight guidance in case the glitch occurs.

Despite the FAA review, neither the regulator nor Boeing said whether the certification process for the 737 MAX 10 would be unfrozen.

The model is the last of four 737 MAX planes to receive regulator certification to enter service.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Monday at a press conference that the MAX planes certified by the FAA thus far are safe but that "we will be delaying the 10 until... we're satisfied we don't have an issue here."

elm/tu/ph/jgc/pnb

BOEING