Software ‘Glitch’ Delays CRJ1000

Bombardier has moved the certification target for its 100-seat CRJ1000 to the first quarter of the company’s next fiscal year, starting February 1, from this year’s fiscal fourth quarter, after a software glitch recently forced the company to reassess its schedules. Bombardier Aerospace v-p of commercial aircraft programs Ben Boehm told AIN that the software problem resided within the flight control system, but he declined to specify exactly which equipment the problem involved.

Now flying two aircraft in the flight-test program, Bombardier by early last month had completed about 70 percent of the total hours needed for certification, said Boehm. Asked when Bombardier discovered the software glitch, Boehm said only that engineers found the problem “during flight testing…earlier this year.”

Meanwhile, Boehm refused to elaborate on what, if any, penalties Bombardier would have to pay to its two CRJ1000 customers–Brit Air and Air Nostrum. “We have agreed to plans with all of our customers,” he noted. “There are no contentious issues...”