2026年9月26日 美国东部时间晚9:32 / 哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）新闻
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克里斯·范·克利夫
艾美奖获奖记者克里斯·范·克利夫是哥伦比亚广播公司新闻驻亚利桑那州凤凰城的高级交通通讯员，同时也担任全国通讯员，为哥伦比亚广播公司新闻所有广播和平台供稿。
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美国联邦航空局正在调查部分波音737 MAX客机存在的软件故障，该故障可能导致自动飞行引导系统在复飞时断开连接——复飞通常指中断着陆的操作。
在极少数情况下，若航班无法着陆且飞行员使用自动驾驶进行精密进近，并对预编程飞行计划做出调整，飞行管理计算机可能出现故障，导致飞机的垂直导航系统（简称VNAV）断开连接，并切换至精度较低的自动俯仰控制模式。
垂直导航系统的核心功能是在飞行路径的各个 Waypoint（航路点）自动维持预先规划的高度。
但若出现该故障，飞行员在后续进近过程中需要采取额外操作。
这种情况通常发生在机场周边低空环境中，此时飞行员的工作负荷本就很高。
“你希望机组人员有多忙？”一位航空公司内部人士在接受CBS新闻采访时谈及该故障时说道，“你难道要在最糟糕的时刻引入干扰因素吗？”
“上个月，我们向所有737运营商通报了一起软件问题，该问题可能导致飞行员在特定着陆场景中无法使用自动飞行引导系统，”波音公司的一位发言人在发给CBS新闻的声明中表示，“我们向运营商分享了信息，强化了飞行员应对此类情况的现有安全程序。我们的工程师正在研发软件更新，以彻底解决该问题。”
这位波音发言人表示，即便垂直导航系统断开连接，自动驾驶仍将继续运行，并补充称所有飞行员都接受过无垂直导航系统情况下的安全着陆训练。
在本月稍晚些时候发给航空公司的一份公告中，波音告知运营商，该故障并非即时安全问题。该问题出现在MAX机型飞行管理计算机的14.0和14.1版本操作系统中。
“美国联邦航空局已注意到部分波音737 MAX客机飞行计算机软件更新中存在的潜在问题，目前正与波音和航空公司密切合作，”美国联邦航空局在发给CBS新闻的声明中表示，“美国联邦航空局将召开纠正措施审查委员会（CARB）会议，若确认存在安全隐患，将立即采取行动。”
西南航空和联合航空已告知波音，将拒绝接收搭载该版本操作系统的新客机，转而选择此前的版本。
阿拉斯加航空、美国航空、西南航空和联合航空向CBS新闻证实，其现役737 MAX机队均未使用涉事软件版本。
CBS新闻获悉，波音于2024年11月首次收到一家航空公司通报的该问题。公司对此进行了审查，并于2025年2月认定该问题不构成安全隐患。
但今年早些时候，波音收到一位消息人士所称的“运营商提供的额外信息”，促使该制造商启动正式的安全审查委员会。该委员会的调查结果已于本月提交给美国联邦航空局，将由纠正措施审查委员会进行评估。
波音最初的公告曾告知航空公司，软件修复程序将于2028年某个时候准备就绪，并将于11月发布关于飞行员操作程序的更新指南。该公司正努力加快这两项工作的进度。
美国联邦航空局的审查可能会进一步推迟737 MAX 10的认证工作。MAX 10是MAX系列第四款也是最大的一款机型。此前外界认为MAX 10距离获得美国联邦航空局认证仅差数日，但该机型已比计划晚了数年。该问题还可能延迟近日获得认证的737 MAX 7的交付工作。该机型几乎全部订单都将由西南航空承接。
MAX机型是波音的现金牛业务，对其扭亏为盈至关重要。该机型曾在2018年和2019年发生两起备受瞩目的坠机事故，造成346人死亡，事故原因是软件存在缺陷；2024年1月，阿拉斯加航空的一架737 MAX客机在飞行途中出现舱门面板脱落事故，事故原因归咎于制造失误。
值得注意的是，多家美国航空公司在该问题上似乎采取了“信任但核实”的态度，此前因波音在MAX机型上的失误导致停飞和延误，这些航空公司已深受其害。
737 MAX 7是使用14.0版本软件完成认证的，而MAX 10在认证测试期间使用的是14.1版本软件。
西南航空原定于今年秋季开始接收MAX 7的交付。目前尚不清楚该航空公司是否会按计划接收客机，而阿拉斯加航空本应是MAX 10的启动客户。
该软件故障最初由《华尔街日报》报道。
CBS新闻也已联络运营737 MAX机型的忠实航空寻求置评。
FAA investigates software glitch in some Boeing 737 Max jets that could cause issues during aborted landings
September 26, 2026 9:32 PM EDT / CBS News
By
Kris Van Cleave
Emmy Award-winning journalist Kris Van Cleave is the senior transportation correspondent for CBS News based in Phoenix, Arizona, where he also serves as a national correspondent reporting for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms.
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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a software glitch in some Boeing 737 Max jets that could prompt an automated flight guidance system to disengage during an aborted landing, commonly referred to as a go-around.
In rare circumstances where there is a missed approach — and where a pilot is using a precision approach with autopilot engaged and makes changes to their pre-programmed flight plan — an issue with the flight management computer could cause the plane’s vertical navigation system, known as VNAV, to disengage and transition to a less sophisticated level of automated pitch control.
The VNAV is essentially designed to automatically maintain the pre-planned altitude at various waypoints along a flight path.
If this glitch occurs, however, pilots will need to take additional steps during their subsequent approach.
The scenario would typically occur in a low-altitude airport adjacent environment where pilots already have a high workload.
“How busy do you want your crew to be?” one airline source told CBS News about the glitch. “Are you introducing distractions at the worst possible moment?”
“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,” a Boeing spokesperson told CBS News in a statement. “We shared information with operators that reinforced existing pilot procedures for safely handling such cases. Our engineers are working on a software update to permanently address the issue.”
The Boeing spokesperson said that even if VNAV disengages, autopilot will continue to function, adding that all pilots are trained to safely land without VNAV.
In a bulletin sent to airlines late last month, Boeing told operators the glitch is not an immediate safety issue. It surfaced in versions 14 and 14.1 of the operating system for the Max’s flight management computer.
“The FAA is aware of a potential issue in a software update for the flight computers on certain Boeing 737 MAX airplanes and is working closely with Boeing and the airlines,” the FAA told CBS News in a statement. “The FAA will convene a Corrective Action Review Board (CARB) and will take immediate action if it identifies a safety concern.”
Southwest Airlines and United Airlines have informed Boeing they will not accept delivery of new aircraft with that operating system, instead opting for a previous version.
Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest and United told CBS News none of their in-service 737 Max fleets use the software version in question.
CBS News has learned Boeing was first told of the issue by an airline in November 2024. The company reviewed it and determined in February 2025 that it was not a safety issue.
However, Boeing received what a source described as “additional information from operators” earlier this year that prompted the manufacturer to launch a formal safety review board. The board’s findings were sent to the FAA this month and will be reviewed by CARB.
Boeing’s initial bulletin told airlines a software fix would be ready sometime in 2028 and it would issue updated guidance about procedures for pilots to follow in November. The company is working to accelerate both of those efforts.
The FAA review could further delay the certification of the 737 Max 10, the fourth and largest variant of the Max. The Max 10 was thought to be days away from achieving FAA certification, but years behind schedule. The issue could also delay deliveries of the recently certified 737 Max 7. Nearly the entire order book for that aircraft is going to Southwest.
The Max is a cash cow for Boeing and is vital for its turnaround efforts. The plane has been the subject of two high-profile crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people due to defective software, and it experienced a mid-flight door panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024 that was blamed on manufacturing mistakes.
It is notable that several U.S. airlines appear to be taking a trust-but-verify approach to Boeing on the issue, having been stung by groundings and delays due to previous Boeing mistakes on the Max.
The Max 7 was certified with software version 14, while the Max 10 was using version 14.1 during its certification testing.
Southwest was set to start receiving Max 7 deliveries this fall. It is unclear if the airline will take delivery at this time, while Alaska Airlines is supposed to be the launch customer for the Max 10.
The software glitch was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
CBS News has also reached out to Allegiant Air for comment, which also operates the 737 Max.