Pilatus on Thursday revealed that Garmin Emergency Autoland, which the manufacturer calls Safety Autoland, is now certified on the PC-12 Pro by the FAA and EASA.
The single-engine turboprop family already owns a sparkling safety record. But the new Pro, unveiled in March 2025, will add another layer of protection to what Pilatus billed as the “most technologically advanced, best performing, most reliable aircraft in its class.”
The biggest difference between the PC-12 Pro and other members of the family is a completely new cockpit with Garmin’s cutting-edge G3000 Prime integrated flight deck, customized for Pilatus. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) in 2025 called it the “most advanced cockpit to ever be fitted to a single-engine turboprop.”
PC-12 Pros were initially delivered without Safety Autoland enabled as Pilatus awaited certification, but FLYING previously reported the capability will be added to those models. It will remain unavailable in regions where it has not been certified.
Pilatus said Safety Autoland underwent “extensive testing” during final certification flights. The goal was to demonstrate a fully automated landing—from system activation to safe landing and automated communication and engine shutdown—in real-world conditions.
The Pro’s avionics suite also includes Garmin SurfaceWatch, Emergency Descent Mode, Emergency Return, Autothrottle, Synthetic Vision Technology, Smart Glide, GWX 8000 Digital Weather Radar, and Pilatus’ proprietary Cursor Control Device. Pilots can tailor the flight deck to their liking and easily recall those settings if changed by another pilot operating the same aircraft.
The variant also adds improvements to the PC-12’s integrated Stall Warning and Protection System and Electronic Stability and Protection function.
The Pro uses PC-24 style yokes and comes equipped with Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6E-67XP, the same engine as the PC-12 NGX, powered by an electronic engine and propeller control system (EPECS). The Direct Vision cockpit window was removed to improve exterior visibility.
Introducing Autoland
Garmin’s 2020 Collier Trophy-winning Emergency Autoland is designed to handle situations involving sudden pilot incapacitation, such as due to a medical emergency or loss of pressurization. The system can be activated by anyone in the aircraft, including passengers, and be overridden and shut down by the pilot at any time.
In the event of cabin depressurization at high altitude, Emergency Descent Mode activates first, and Autoland activates if the pilot does not interact with the flight deck after descending to a safer altitude. The system will also activate if Electronic Stability and Protection is turned on and senses pilot control inputs that repeatedly exceed given limits.
When the activation button is pressed or Autoland activates on its own, the system takes full control of the aircraft and begins analyzing all available weather, aircraft status, navigation, and other data. Factoring in runway length, wind, weather conditions, remaining fuel, and NOTAMs, it uses that data to choose the best place to land, then calculates a safe route.
While flying autonomously, the system avoids known hazards and communicates its intentions to passengers and ATC on appropriate radio frequencies. It takes command of flaps, landing gear, lighting, and other systems required for landing. Once the aircraft is on the ground, Autoland brings it to a stop on the runway, shuts the engine down, and directs the occupants to evacuate.
Autoland is installed on more than 1,000 select G1000 NXi and G3000-equipped aircraft, which include:
- Daher TBM 960, 980, and newer 940 aircraft
- Piper 700 Fury and newer M600 SLS aircraft
- Cirrus SR22 G7+, Vision Jet G3, and newer Vision Jet G2 and G2+ aircraft
- Beechcraft King Air 200 and 300 Series
- HondaJet Elite II
- Embraer Phenom 300EV
The system will also come equipped on the Beechcraft Denali, Citation M2 Gen3, CJ4 Gen3 and CJ3 Gen3, Epic E1000 AX, and HondaJet Echelon when those aircraft enter service.
Autoland executed its first real-world emergency landing in December after the pilot of a King Air B200 reported a cabin pressurization issue to air traffic control shortly after takeoff. The system activated automatically after the aircraft’s cabin altitude exceeded safe levels, and the conscious crew allowed it to take over. The aircraft landed safely and returned to service the following day.
Another company, Skyryse, is developing an emergency autoland system for both fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft. If certified, it would mark the first time autoland capability has been offered for helicopters.
