Airplane lands itself after in-flight emergency, in a first for aviation automation

Two people emerged unscathed from the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 after it stopped on the runway at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Denver, according to video posted by emergency responders. (North Metro Fire Rescue via CNN Newsource)

An airplane has, for the first time, automatically landed itself after an in-flight emergency, according to the system’s manufacturer.

Two people emerged unscathed from the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 after it stopped on the runway at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Denver, according to video posted by emergency responders.

The twin-engine turboprop landed under the control of Garmin’s Autoland system, which the company says is now installed on about 1,700 airplanes. “This was the first use of Autoland from start-to-finish in an actual emergency,” Garmin said in a statement.

The operator of the plane, charter company Buffalo River Aviation, says the Autoland system automatically engaged during a flight from Aspen with no passengers on board.

“The aircraft experienced a rapid, uncommanded loss of pressurization” and the pilots put on their oxygen masks, said charter company CEO Chris Townsley in a statement. Autoland “automatically engaged exactly as designed when the cabin altitude exceeded the prescribed safe levels” and the pilots “made the decision to leave the system engaged,” Townsley said.

In a demonstration of the system in a Cirrus Aircraft SR22 in April, CNN was able to test Autoland under controlled circumstances. Pushing a large red button activates the plane’s on-board autopilot, steering the airplane to a suitable airport and making announcements to air traffic controllers.

“Pilot incapacitation,” an automated voice can be heard saying on air traffic control audio of Saturday’s incident from LiveATC.net. It warns other pilots in the area: “Emergency auto-land in less than 1 minute on runway 3-0 right.”

Buffalo River Aviation’s CEO clarifies that “reports of pilot incapacitation are incorrect and result solely from the Garmin emergency system’s automated communication and reporting functions.”

“In this case, the crew consciously elected to preserve and use all available tools and minimize additional variables in an unpredictable, emergent situation, prioritizing life and a safe outcome over all other factors, as they are trained to do.”

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

By Pete Muntean, Dugald McConnell, CNN