Garmin autopilot lands small aircraft without human assistance
Summary
A Beechcraft Super King Air B200 performed a fully automated emergency landing at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC) in Colorado on 20 December 2025 using Garmin’s Emergency Autoland system. The FAA confirmed the landing after the aircraft experienced a rapid, uncommanded loss of pressurisation and the crew lost communication with ATC. The system activated when cabin altitude exceeded safe levels; the pilots reported they deliberately left Autoland engaged. No passengers were aboard and both people on board exited the aircraft safely. Garmin describes this as the first end-to-end use of Autoland in a real emergency, and the FAA is investigating.
Key Points
- Garmin Emergency Autoland automatically took full control and guided the Beechcraft Super King Air B200 to a safe landing at KBJC.
- The event followed a rapid, uncommanded loss of cabin pressurisation; pilots used oxygen masks and left Autoland engaged.
- The system’s automated radio/reporting message declared “pilot incapacitation,” creating initial public confusion despite the pilots being conscious.
- LiveATC audio captured the system announcing the emergency autoland and ATC clearing the aircraft to land.
- Garmin says this is the first start-to-finish use of Autoland in an actual emergency; the FAA has opened an investigation.
Context and relevance
This event marks a notable milestone for in-flight automation: a certified aftermarket/autonomy system successfully completed a full emergency landing outside test conditions. It matters because it demonstrates maturity in safety-critical automation, will influence pilot training and operator procedures, and could accelerate regulatory scrutiny and wider adoption of emergency autoland systems across general aviation. The incident also highlights a communications/design quirk — automated messages can mislead observers (and the public) about occupant condition — which operators and manufacturers will need to manage.
Why should I read this?
Short version: this is not sci-fi any more — autopilot just did the full job in a real emergency. If you care about flight safety, automation, or how tech changes cockpit roles, this is a neat, quick read that saves you digging through reports.
Author style
Punchy — this one matters. Garmin’s Autoland moving from tests to a real-world, start-to-finish emergency landing is the sort of development aviation folks, regulators and safety teams should pay attention to now.
Source
Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/12/24/autocomms/