Bloomberg Report: Boeing Mocked Lion Air Calls for More 737 Max Training Before Crash

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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ed-737-max-jet

Technology
New Software Flaw Could Further Delay Boeing’s 737 Max
By Alan Levin
January 17, 2020, 2:03 PM EST Updated on January 17, 2020, 2:36 PM EST

• Boeing says in statement it’s working with FAA on the issue
• Software problem is latest to hit plane grounded since March

Boeing Co. has identified a new software flaw in the grounded 737 Max which will require additional work on the plane, possibly further delaying its return to service.

The company has alerted the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and is notifying customers and its suppliers about the issue, it said in an emailed statement. Boeing’s best-selling jet was grounded on March 13 after two fatal crashes involving a flight-control system.

The issue involves how a software system on the plane checks to ensure that data it is receiving from other monitors are functioning properly, said a person familiar with the issue who wasn’t authorized to speak about it. The issue occurs when the system is initially powered up, the person said.

“We are making necessary updates and working with the FAA on submission of this change, and keeping our customers and suppliers informed,” Boeing said in its statement. “Our highest priority is ensuring the 737 MAX is safe and meets all regulatory requirements before it returns to service.”

News of the software flaw sent Boeing shares down as far as $323, less than $3 from their closing low after the second Max crash. The stock dropped 2.3% to $324.30 at 2:57 p.m. in New York.

The FAA didn’t comment on the latest issue to arise on the problem-plagued plane. “We won’t approve the plane for return to service until it’s ready,” the agency said in an emailed statement.

The 737 Max is costing the planemaker billions in losses. The software problem was discovered during the final validation review process of the software updates being installed on the plane, the person said.

It’s unclear how complex the repair will be. Software systems on aircraft require a far higher degree of reliability and checks before approval compared to consumer products.

Boeing has been working for more than a year on fixing software to ensure that a flight-control system that pushes down the nose automatically -- and was linked to both fatal crashes -- is safe.

During the process of assessing the plane last year, Boeing discovered another issue and had to redesign its flight-control computers. The reworking of that software has been one of the reasons that the repairs have taken so long.

The crash of a Lion Air 737 Max on Oct. 29, 2018, and an Ethiopian Airlines plane on March 10 both occurred after a system known as Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System repeatedly pushed the planes into dives. Pilots in both cases were able to temporarily maintain control, but eventually the jets entered steep dives and crashed.

(Updates with details about issue starting in third paragraph)