FAA Clears Boeing 737 MAX Software Anomaly as No Safety Risk

Federal aviation regulators on October 2, 2026, cleared a software anomaly in Boeing 737 MAX flight computers, determining it poses no safety risk and clearing the path for regulatory approval of the aircraft’s largest variant, the MAX 10.

The decision by the Federal Aviation Administration removes a major hurdle for the company’s best-selling narrowbody jet family. An internal Corrective Action Review Board met in Seattle on Friday to evaluate a flight management system update that could affect aircraft during specific landing procedures following a missed approach.

How the Flight Management Software Anomaly Disengaged Vertical Navigation

The issue stems from Flight Management System Update 14, known as U14, and its subsequent U14.1 iteration. Boeing introduced the U14.0 software load in 2020 and followed with U14.1 in early 2022. The underlying risk emerges when flight crews alter their preprogrammed flight path after a missed approach.

In those specific scenarios, the aircraft’s automatic vertical navigation mode disengages. Pilots must manually intervene to maintain the correct altitude. Aviation authorities noted that while the autopilot continues to function normally, the extra step can increase pilot workload during an already demanding low-altitude maneuver.

WestJet Discovery and the Path to Regulatory Review

Canadian carrier WestJet first uncovered the anomaly during an entry-into-service test flight in 2024. The airline reported the finding directly to Boeing with supporting data. However, Boeing did not formally advance the issue through its safety review process until September, after publishing a digest in late August.

Senior officials at the U.S. regulator were alerted to it in August, nearly two years after WestJet first flagged the issue. The issue drew intense scrutiny as the agency prepared to certify the 737 MAX 10. Major U.S. carriers including Southwest Airlines and United Airlines told Boeing they did not want new aircraft equipped with the flawed software, opting instead to take deliveries with an earlier version. Some in-service operators rolled their fleets back to the U13 software load, which was originally delivered beginning in 2017. Other large carriers, including Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, that ordered the MAX 10 could also have been impacted by a lengthy delay.

Earlier this week, the heads of 737 Max 10 buyers Ryanair and Alaska Airlines dismissed worries regarding delays in the plane’s certification. According to a research note from Jefferies, the ruling paves the way for the Max 10 to receive certification prior to year’s end, and the firm calculates that Boeing holds nearly 1,500 airline orders for the model. Data from Aviation Week Fleet Discovery indicates that Boeing’s unfulfilled inventory includes 27 737-7s and 25 737-10s.

Corrective Action Review Board Ruling and Airline Procedures

The regulatory panel concluded that the anomaly does not require grounding or major redesigns because the flight deck provides adequate cues to the crew.

The panel’s determination rested explicitly on the finding that pilots retain full control of the aircraft and the indications to the flight crew are clear and unambiguous. To address the operational workload concerns, Boeing is preparing guidance for carriers.

The planemaker will issue a bulletin explaining how flight crews can recognize and respond to the situation, while the regulatory agency will issue a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin to U.S. airlines and foreign regulators. Meanwhile, Boeing engineers are working on the next software update to re-enable automated vertical navigation should the event occur.