The technology, launched in 2019, was used for the first time in a real-world landing situation, according to the company.
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Summary
In the United States, a plane successfully performed an automatic landing after a loss of pressurization and communication, using Garmin’s Autoland system in a real-world situation for the first time.
A small plane carried out a risky maneuver after the loss of communication between the pilot and air traffic control, but managed to land “alone” at an airport in Colorado, United States, on Saturday 20.
The plane, a twin-engine Super King Air, was heading to Denver and, according to Garmin, the company responsible for the plane’s technology, it was necessary to use, for the first time in real life, the automatic landing system, known as “Autoland.”
“This was a rapid and unexpected loss of pressurization,” Buffalo River Aviation, owner of the plane, told ABC News. The company also said that only two pilots were on board the plane, with no other passengers.
In an air traffic control recording, it is possible to hear the moment when an automatic message is issued, informing that the pilot no longer had control of the plane and that it would be necessary to land at the nearest airport.
In the audio, the system informs of the aircraft number and possible incapacity of the pilot. However, Garmin CEO Chris Townsley said the inability rating was automatically generated by the system. In a statement, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said the landing was safe and the matter was under investigation.
How the automatic landing system works
Autoland technology was launched in 2019 by Garmin. This is an automatic emergency landing system. The system, after identifying the pilot’s incapacity, or if activated manually, takes overall control of the aircraft and selects the nearest airport, based on fuel quantity, distance and runway size, to make the landing.
At the same time, the system informs passengers of the procedure and also establishes communication with air traffic control. Upon landing, the plane was stopped on the runway so that emergency teams could intervene.
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