Emergency Autoland

This short article highlights a collaborative activity that led to the successful completion of tests of the Garmin Emergency Autoland System on a Daher TBM-940. Technological advancements like this have a huge benefit to the safety of GA flying.

Global collaboration on safety improvements

EASA has since 2017 been working closely with the FAA and Garmin on the Garmin Emergency Autoland System. The core functionality is hosted in the G3000 integrated flight deck at this time and can be incorporated in different aircraft types.

In case of pilot incapacitation the system can automatically or manually be engaged, it will then determine the most suitable airfield and automatically navigate there and land whilst transmitting its intentions to the Air Traffic Control System ATC/ATS.

Completion of Daher test flight and successful certification

In a second activity EASA has worked with Daher to certify the system on the Daher TBM-940 aircraft, this work supported by DGAC-and CEV experts along with the help and participation of the ATS of France culminated in the first full system test with ATS participation in June this year, with the aircraft making a successful landing stopping and shutting down, without pilot intervention.

This last successful test led to EASA certification of this system in July this year.