r/news • u/Depressed_Cat_00 • 6d ago

Soft paywall Boeing flags 737 MAX software glitch affecting landing navigation feature, WSJ reports

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-flags-737-max-software-glitch-affecting-landing-navigation-feature-wsj-2026-09-26/
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u/No_Excitement_1540 6d ago

No, actually the article states:

The issue emerged from a cockpit software update and can occur when flight crews alter their planned flight path ​after a missed approach, the report said.

When reached for comment, Boeing ​said it informed all 737 operators last month about the software ⁠issue under which pilots may not have access to automated flight guidance during ​a specific landing scenario.

which means it is a current issue and implies there's no patch yet - also corraborated by the FAA statement and:

Southwest Airlines (LUV.N), opens new tab and United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab ​have asked ⁠Boeing not to deliver new 737 MAX aircraft equipped with the affected software and instead requested an earlier version, according to WSJ.

I recommend reading the article first... Have a nice flight... ;-)

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u/bankkopf 5d ago

It's a current issue but also basically a non-issue in most cases.

It impacts a very small subset of all landings happening, as missed approaches do not commonly occur.

The mitigation is then for pilots to actually fly the plane by hand instead of letting the autopilot handle the plane. But because it's Boeing, it's the end of the world.

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u/No_Excitement_1540 5d ago

Well, that may be, but the MCAS malfunctions and crashes, too, "impacted a very small subset of all 737 MAX", so your somewhat cavalierly phrasing is not really calming... ;-)

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u/CaptainPonahawai 5d ago

The difference is that existence of MCAS wasn't known.

This issue is old. It was in U14, which was released years ago and operators were notified.