By Bob Walsh
The Garmin GPS people make a
product called AutoLand. It is designed to land a light aircraft in the
event the pilot becomes incapacitated. It had its first actual use a
few days before Christmas in a King Air Beechcraft B200 at the airport
in Aspen, Colorado on December 20.
The
aircraft suffered a rapid uncommanded cabin depressurization and the
two pilots on board put on their oxygen masks. They then allowed the
system, which automatically engaged, to land the aircraft at the Rocky
Mountain Metropolitan Airport. There were no passengers on board.
There
are about 1,700 aircraft equipped with this system. It notifies air
traffic control of what is going on, it's intentions and how it is
proceeding. As far as I can tell it is incapable of accepting direction
from ATC, it merely tells you what it is doing and hopes ATC gets
everybody out of the way so it can land.
1 comment:
It evolved from a video game.
Post a Comment