The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States confirmed that at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Colorado, a small aircraft made a safe emergency landing in fully automatic mode. This was the first successful use of the Garmin Autoland landing system outside of test conditions.
The Garmin Emergency Autoland system is capable of taking full control of the flight to land the aircraft in an emergency situation when the pilot is unable to operate it. It can also be activated manually by pressing a button.
The incident came to light after the system transmitted a message mentioning "pilot incapacitation" — this wording alarmed the radio enthusiasts who were listening and recording. The situation was heightened by the controller's remark: "I don’t know if you can hear me, but I authorize the landing."
The incident occurred with a Beechcraft Super King Air aircraft, which experienced a "rapid, uncontrolled loss of cabin pressure." There were no passengers on board — only pilots, who quickly donned oxygen masks and decided not to disable the autoland system. It "automatically engaged exactly as intended when the equivalent cabin altitude exceeded established safe levels."
The Garmin Autoland system was introduced in 2019. It autonomously determines the landing location of the aircraft based on what is optimal for a successful landing, taking into account runway length, distance, flight range, and other factors.
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