Panic Button

When the pilot of a small plane becomes incapacitated for whatever reason, there is very little time for passengers to react. Even if they can broadcast a distress call fast enough to be guided by an expert on the ground, it’s difficult for an inexperienced person to land an aircraft safely. Which is why a new product called Autoland is going to become a standard feature on the Piper M600/SLS turboprop, and other single-engine aircraft are expected to follow suit in the near future.

Autoland can be easily activated by passengers and combines GPS satellite-based navigation with electronic aircraft control systems to provide an alternative landing protocol in the event of an emergency. It goes beyond the standard autopilot by transmitting an emergency code to air-traffic controllers and other planes close by. It analyzes weather conditions and fuel reserves before selecting the optimum landing site. Landing is also automatic as it lowers the landing gear, sets the flaps, aligns the plane on the runway and applies the brakes once on the ground.

Although Autoland has been designed purely for emergency use, it could bring us another step closer to autonomous aircraft for passenger use.