Pilatus PC-12 PRO’s Garmin autoland system wins FAA and EASA approval

Pilatus has secured FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification for the PC-12 PRO’s emergency autoland system, which can automatically land the single-engine turboprop if its pilot becomes incapacitated.

The Swiss manufacturer announced the approvals on September 24, 2026. Called Safety Autoland, the Garmin system can activate automatically after detecting pilot inactivity or be engaged by pressing a button. It then takes control and alerts those aboard.

Airport selection accounts for runway length, wind, weather, and available fuel. The system plots a route that avoids terrain and obstacles, configures the aircraft for landing, and transmits automated radio messages to inform air traffic control and other nearby aircraft.

It also operates the flaps, landing gear, lighting, brakes, and de-icing equipment. Pilatus said certification flight testing covered the sequence from activation through landing and engine shutdown, including automated communications.

The PC-12 PRO was introduced in March 2025 with a redesigned cockpit built around Garmin’s G3000 Prime avionics. At the time, Garmin identified the aircraft as the first certified with the new flight deck, while listing Autoland availability separately for 2026.

Pilatus calls its cockpit installation the Advanced Cockpit Environment, or ACE. It combines three main touchscreen displays with two smaller secondary screens and a cursor control device that gives pilots a physical alternative to touch inputs. The cockpit also has control yokes derived from those in the PC-24 business jet.

Garmin’s other safety functions in the PC-12 PRO include electronic stability protection, emergency descent mode, and autothrottle. The flight deck also links crew alerts to electronic checklists, allowing pilots to open the relevant checklist by touching an alert message.

Garmin Autoland has also been certified on the Piper M600/SLS and M700 Fury; Daher TBM 940, 960, and 980; Cirrus SR20, SR22, and SR22T G7+; Vision Jet G2, G2+, and G3; HondaJet Elite II; and Embraer Phenom 300EV. Retrofit installations are available for eligible Beechcraft King Air 200-series and King Air 350 aircraft. Availability depends on the aircraft’s model year and equipment.

Additional Autoland installations have been announced for the Beechcraft Denali, Epic E1000 AX, Cessna Citation M2 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3 and CJ4 Gen3, and HondaJet Echelon.The post Pilatus PC-12 PRO’s Garmin autoland system wins FAA and EASA approval appeared first on AeroTime.

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