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Final report: Boeing 737 MAX 8 nearly failed to take off after crew accepted intersection departure without updating FMS perform

UK investigators’ final report says the crew of an Ascend Airways Boeing 737 MAX 8 accepted an intersection departure from Runway 25 but failed to update flight-management computer performance data after switching from a planned full-length takeoff. The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at about 13 ft (4 m), with insufficient thrust.

Discovered 2026-07-09T06:30:43.271045-07:00 | 2026-07-09T06:30:43.271045-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

Demonstrates a concrete, operational FMS/performance-data verification failure mode: after changing from full-length to an intersection departure, the crew did not update the flight-management computer before takeoff.
The reported consequence is extreme runway-exit risk—crossing the threshold at ~13 ft (4 m) due to insufficient thrust—highlighting the safety impact of task sequencing and cross-checks.
For Boeing 737 MAX operators and regulators, the report provides a directly actionable reference point for standardizing intersection departure briefings, FMS data checks, and go/no-go criteria during performance changes.

Reported By

Aviacionline The Independent FlightGlobal