Garmin Autoland Activation Was Crew Decision

Charter company clarifies circumstances behind first reported real-world use of emergency landing system.

Matt Ryan

Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at 01:51 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Matt Ryan

Garmin Autoland [Credit: Garmin]

Key Takeaways:

A Beechcraft Super King Air made a successful emergency landing using Garmin's Autoland system following a pressurization failure at 23,000 feet.
The flight crew deliberately allowed the Autoland system to operate as a "conservative judgment" and were not incapacitated, contrary to automated messages.
This incident marks the first real-world activation of Garmin's Autoland technology since its 2019 introduction, resulting in a safe landing with no injuries.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The recent emergency landing of a Beechcraft Super King Air at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Colorado using Garmin’s Autoland system was the result of a conscious decision by the flight crew, not pilot incapacitation, according to the aircraft’s operator. Buffalo River Aviation told CBS Colorado that the pilots deliberately allowed the automated system to retain control of the aircraft after a pressurization failure, describing the decision as an exercise in “conservative judgment.”

The aircraft was climbing through 23,000 feet mean sea level after departing Aspen when it experienced a rapid loss of pressurization, Buffalo River Aviation CEO Chris Townsley said. The two pilots immediately donned oxygen masks, and the aircraft’s Garmin emergency systems engaged as designed once cabin altitude exceeded safe limits. The system selected Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, navigated to the field, and communicated automatically with air traffic control, including broadcasts that referenced pilot incapacitation. Townsley said those automated messages led to incorrect early reports that the pilots were unable to fly the aircraft.

Garmin confirmed that the Dec. 20 event marked the first real-world activation of Autoland since the technology was introduced in 2019, resulting in a successful landing with no injuries. Buffalo River Aviation said no passengers were on board at the time, and the aircraft returned to service the following day without incident. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it is investigating the event, noting that an onboard emergency autoland system was activated after the aircraft lost communication with air traffic control.

So at FL230 the crew donned O2 and started making decisions; great! Deciding to activate autoland in case the crew passes out; maybe a little conservative for FL230, but as part of a drill for all loss of pressurization contingencies, I can get on board with that. This is something that would be a good move in the mid-thirties, which King Air 350s can do. We don’t want to lose consciousness without deploying the system that will take us home if we pass out, right?

But this event displays the moral hazard of abandoning our roles too soon to Garmin Autoland. That system held the plane for ten minutes at FL180 crossing a mountain range with a depressurized cabin. The event took place on, basically, a right downwind from Aspen. West and northwest is the direction of descending terrain and would have allowed for nearly-immediate descent to 15000 and lower going to GJT by way of the valley through Rifle. Garmin’s autoland doesn’t seem to have the ability to discern between a loss of power or a depressurization event. Instead of pointing the plane to descending terrain with improving weather, it aimed the plane at 15000 foot mountains of the great divide. And once they were clear of the hills the plane took another 6 minutes to descend from FL180 to 10000 as it maneuvered above Boulder, CO. So it made a leisurely 1500fpm descent with a depressurization event in Denver’s terminal airspace with robot announcements of intent. All of this occurred with the crew fully conscious, capable of intervening, etc.

And maybe it’s good they DID leave it on. I think, knowing this crew was conscious, there’s a convincing argument to be made that the crew was still incapacitated. Now the cause of that incapacity may not be oxygen-related; it may be fear and negative training. Buffalo River Outfitters says the crew was ready to take over. Were they? Why didn’t they? Pressurization events are physically painful and scary. The human factors and training-management lesson hidden underneath the technology in this event is really worth exploring.

It’s easy as I sit at my computer typing here to monday-morning QB these folks. That’s not my intent. They lived and the plane isn’t broke. That’s all we can ask for. But if we take this as a success story we miss some critical lessons that we need to learn both as an industy and as individual aviators.

Continue discussion - Visit the forum

Replies: 1

Jzarinnia says:

December 23, 2025

So at FL230 the crew donned O2 and started making decisions; great! Deciding to activate autoland in case the crew passes out; maybe a little conservative for FL230, but as part of a drill for all loss of pressurization contingencies, I can get on board with that. This is something that would be a good move in the mid-thirties, which King Air 350s can do. We don’t want to lose consciousness without deploying the system that will take us home if we pass out, right?

But this event displays the moral hazard of abandoning our roles too soon to Garmin Autoland. That system held the plane for ten minutes at FL180 crossing a mountain range with a depressurized cabin. The event took place on, basically, a right downwind from Aspen. West and northwest is the direction of descending terrain and would have allowed for nearly-immediate descent to 15000 and lower going to GJT by way of the valley through Rifle. Garmin’s autoland doesn’t seem to have the ability to discern between a loss of power or a depressurization event. Instead of pointing the plane to descending terrain with improving weather, it aimed the plane at 15000 foot mountains of the great divide. And once they were clear of the hills the plane took another 6 minutes to descend from FL180 to 10000 as it maneuvered above Boulder, CO. So it made a leisurely 1500fpm descent with a depressurization event in Denver’s terminal airspace with robot announcements of intent. All of this occurred with the crew fully conscious, capable of intervening, etc.

And maybe it’s good they DID leave it on. I think, knowing this crew was conscious, there’s a convincing argument to be made that the crew was still incapacitated. Now the cause of that incapacity may not be oxygen-related; it may be fear and negative training. Buffalo River Outfitters says the crew was ready to take over. Were they? Why didn’t they? Pressurization events are physically painful and scary. The human factors and training-management lesson hidden underneath the technology in this event is really worth exploring.

It’s easy as I sit at my computer typing here to monday-morning QB these folks. That’s not my intent. They lived and the plane isn’t broke. That’s all we can ask for. But if we take this as a success story we miss some critical lessons that we need to learn both as an industy and as individual aviators.