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The FAA said on October 2, 2026, that a software issue affecting some Boeing 737 MAX flight computers is not a safety concern. The agency’s Corrective Action Review Board (CARB) said pilots retain full control and receive clear, unambiguous indications. The reported problem can affect automated flight guidance during an unusual sequence involving a missed approach; it has not been described as a loss of aircraft control. The FAA finding removed a late obstacle to 737 MAX 10 certification, while Boeing works on a permanent software update.
What the 737 MAX software issue does
The issue involves flight-management software in some MAX flight computers. Reports describe a scenario in which a crew conducts a missed approach and changes the programmed flight path. In some circumstances, automated guidance may become unavailable or the flight-guidance system may move from VNAV (vertical navigation) to a simpler pitch-control mode, such as level change or vertical speed.
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Because this scenario occurs during an approach, a change in guidance can affect pilot workload. The available reporting does not establish that the airplane becomes uncontrollable. Boeing told CBS News that the autopilot would continue to function if VNAV disengaged and that pilots are trained to land without VNAV; that is Boeing’s statement, not an independently demonstrated finding in the reports.
Why the FAA said it was not a safety concern
Reuters reported that the FAA’s CARB met in Seattle on October 2 and judged the issue not to be a safety concern. Its stated rationale was that “pilots retain full control of the aircraft and the indications to the flight crew are clear and unambiguous.”
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The finding is specific to the reported software issue and the board’s assessment of it. It is not a general safety certification covering every MAX aircraft, software configuration, or unrelated issue, and it does not establish how every other aviation regulator has assessed the matter.
What Boeing and operators are doing
Boeing said it had informed operators, reinforced existing procedures, and was working on a permanent software update. Aviation Week reported that Boeing would issue an operator bulletin describing how to recognize and respond to the malfunction, and that the FAA planned to issue a bulletin underscoring Boeing’s instructions. CBS News reported that the FAA was convening CARB and would act if it identified a safety concern.
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One early schedule reported by CBS put a software fix in 2028, with Boeing working to accelerate it. That is a reported estimate, not a confirmed current delivery date.
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The FAA had delayed MAX 10 certification while it analyzed the software issue. Its finding removed that late obstacle. Aviation Week reported that the FAA would not require a flight-management software update as a prerequisite for MAX 10 certification.
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Reports also say the MAX 7 uses the software. The decision should not be read as establishing the status of every MAX variant or software build. The reporting does not provide a detailed engineering comparison across configurations.
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Reuters reported that WestJet first flagged the issue to Boeing nearly two years before the FAA’s October 2026 decision. CBS News reported that Boeing was told about it in November 2024, concluded in February 2025 that it was not a safety issue, and later received additional information from operators. These milestones are reported accounts, not a complete public engineering chronology.
This is separate from the MAX’s MCAS history
The current report concerns flight-management guidance during a missed-approach scenario. It is distinct from MCAS-related design changes and the 2019–2020 grounding and return-to-service process. The FAA’s historical MAX update describes that earlier process and says its 2020 return-to-service actions applied to U.S. carriers and U.S.-registered aircraft; other civil aviation authorities made their own decisions. That history is context, not evidence about the current software issue.
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Sources
- Reuters, republished by Investing.com, October 2, 2026.
- CBS News, reporting on the software issue and FAA review.
- Aviation Week, October 3, 2026.
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