The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated a Corrective Action Review Board (CARB) to evaluate a newly discovered software anomaly within the flight management systems of the Boeing 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10. The issue involves a potential disengagement of the vertical navigation (VNAV) system during specific go-around sequences following a precision approach.
According to reports, the glitch occurs when pre-programmed flight paths are altered during a missed approach. While the autopilot may remain engaged, the loss of VNAV transitions the aircraft to a simplified form of pitch control. This shift necessitates increased pilot intervention to maintain altitude constraints during a high-workload phase of flight.
Boeing has confirmed the situation to current operators and stated that engineers are developing a permanent software resolution. The company maintains that existing pilot procedures allow for safe operations in the interim.
This regulatory scrutiny comes as Boeing advances toward the final stages of the MAX 10 certification campaign. Industry observers are now waiting to see if this review will impact the 2027 delivery targets for both the MAX 7 and MAX 10 variants.