Boeing has identified a new technical glitch involving the troubled 737 Max Jet, according to the latest reports. The issue with the plane's flight computers involves the software power up monitoring function, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. However, the report clarifies that the snag would not occur during flight.
The 737 MAX was grounded earlier this year following back to back crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed 346 people. The newly identified glitch does not relate to the software revisions the embattled aircraft maker carried out to solve the problems that led to the two crashes.
The problem was identified during the booting up the of the computers on a 737, the source said, adding that Boeing was addressing the problem, the report said. Meanwhile, Boeing also said it is working on necessary updates. "We are making necessary updates and working with the FAA on submission of this change, and keeping our customers and suppliers informed ... Our highest priority is ensuring the 737 MAX is safe and meets all regulatory requirements before it returns to service," Boeing said in a statement, according to CNN.
Fatal crashes and the grounding
The first of the two fatal crashes happened in October last year when a Boeing 737 Max operated by Lion Air crashed killing all 189 people. The second accident took place five months later when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed killing 157 people. Boeing fired its chief executive officer Dennis Muilenburg in December. The move came in the face of looming action from regulators following the irregularities surrounding 737 Max aircraft.
Facing a crippling cash crunch, Boeing suspended commercial production of 737 jets last month. The decision was announced after the Federal Aviation Administration refused to let airline companies to fly the jet before 2020. It is the first time in more than 20 years that Boeing is halting production.
Internal memo on safety lapses
Boeing employs around 12,000 people in the plant south of Seattle where it builds the 737. Orders had dried up for Boeing after the March grounding of 737 Max, with rival Airbus making a huge advantage out of Boeing's misery. The FAA was tight-lipped about how long the Max ban would stay. The agency had said at that point that it was in discussions with global regulators over the proposed changes to the 737 MAX.
A Boeing internal memo showed last week that employees had called the bluff on serious safety lapses related to the development and manufacture of airplanes. One conversation between two employees revealed that one of them said Boeing 737 MAX said the aircraft was designed by clowns. "This airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys," an unnamed Boeing employee told a colleague. Others too launched a scathing attack on Boeing over safety lapses.
