More aircraft are now being equipped with Garmin’s Emergency Autoland, a revolutionary system capable of taking complete control of an aircraft and landing it safely if the pilot becomes incapacitated.
The technology was inspired in part by the tragic 1999 crash that claimed the lives of professional golfer Payne Stewart and five others after a sudden loss of cabin pressure left everyone onboard unconscious. With no one at the controls, the aircraft continued flying for nearly four hours before running out of fuel and crashing.
Unlike traditional autopilot, Emergency Autoland can independently choose the safest nearby airport, communicate with air traffic control, inform passengers, navigate the aircraft, and perform a fully autonomous landing without any pilot input.
The system is already installed on around 2,000 aircraft and is expanding to larger business jets, including Embraer’s new Phenom EV300. It also recently proved its value during a real-world emergency when a Beechcraft Super King Air experienced a pressurization problem over Colorado. The crew activated Emergency Autoland, which safely diverted the aircraft to a nearby airport and completed the landing without injuries.
Although the technology has not yet reached large commercial airliners, Garmin hopes future Boeing and Airbus aircraft could eventually incorporate similar capabilities, adding another layer of protection for millions of passengers.
Sometimes, the biggest aviation breakthroughs aren’t about flying faster—they’re about making every flight safer.
