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Boeing is working on a software update for its 737 aircraft after identifying an issue that could leave pilots without access to automated vertical flight guidance during a specific landing scenario, the aircraft manufacturers spokesperson said.
The company has informed all 737 operators about the issue last month and provided information reinforcing existing pilot procedures for safely handling such situations. Boeing engineers are now working on a permanent software fix, a company spokesperson said. The issue can arise following a missed approach, when a pilot changes the preprogrammed flight path, according to Boeing. In such a situation, the flight management computer software may cause the aircraft to transition from a vertical navigation mode to a simpler level of automation for pitch control. If the transition occurs, pilots would need to perform additional procedural steps if they want to use automated vertical navigation on subsequent approaches, Boeing said. All pilots are trained to safely land an airplane without automated vertical navigation, the spokesperson said, stressing that existing pilot training covers landing an aircraft without the automated system. As part of its safety review process, Boeing said it had informed the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about the issue and was working under the regulator's oversight to complete the software update. The company is also working directly with airlines to formalise a procedure that would allow pilots to reenable automated vertical navigation if the situation occurs. Last month, we informed all 737 operators about a software issue where pilots may not have access to automated flight guidance during a specific landing scenario, the Boeing spokesperson said. Our engineers are working on a software update to permanently address the issue. The manufacturer said the information shared with operators reinforced existing procedures for handling the scenario while the permanent software solution is being developed. (ANI)
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