The plane really did land itself — but the pilots didn’t pass out

Short answer: Yes, a Garmin emergency system landed the airplane. No, the pilots did not “fall out.” They were conscious, on oxygen, and chose to let the system finish the job after a pressurization scare.

Now here’s the twist: the King Air not only touched down by itself — it also rolled out and shut off its engines. And it was the first confirmed real‑world use of this kind of emergency autoland.

The most important correction first

False/unsupported: The dramatic claim that the pilot “fell out” (was incapacitated).
True and historic: This was the first documented real‑world emergency landing completed by Garmin’s Emergency Autoland.

Multiple outlets and Garmin confirm the milestone. The operator, however, told local media there were two pilots on board who put on oxygen after a sudden loss of cabin pressure and intentionally let Autoland complete the approach and landing. That flatly contradicts the “pilot unconscious” framing.

Sources:

First real‑world use confirmed by Garmin and aviation outlets: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2025/december/22/king-air-autolands-in-colorado
Operator’s account (two pilots, pressurization issue, deliberate use of Autoland): https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/plane-emergency-landing-colorado-autoland
Heise correction acknowledging early reports overstated “pilot unconscious”: (as cited in coverage)

What actually happened, step by step

The airplane: Beechcraft King Air 200 (N479BR)
Route: Aspen to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC), near Denver
Date/time: December 20, 2025; landing around 2:19 p.m. local time
The emergency: A rapid, uncommanded cabin pressurization loss
Crew actions: Two pilots donned oxygen masks and kept Garmin Emergency Autoland engaged
Outcome: The system flew the approach, landed, rolled out, and shut down the engines. No injuries reported.

Corroboration:

Flight details: https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/garmin-autoland-king-air-emergency-landing
Pressurization event context: https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/24/autocomms
System handled touchdown and shutdown: https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/garmin-autoland-beechcraft-king-air-rescue

Why “world premiere” needs context

If you’ve flown on big airliners, you’ve likely already landed via “autoland” — but with pilots monitoring and ready to intervene. That’s been standard for decades on precision approaches.

What’s new here is different:

Emergency Autoland is built to take over the entire flight to a safe landing if the pilot can’t fly — or, as in Colorado, if the crew decides it’s the safest option.
It chooses an airport, talks to air traffic control via synthesized messages, flies the approach, lands, brakes, and shuts down.

Context on routine airliner autoland vs. this emergency system:

Airliner autoland explainer: https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/video/2015/05/ils-boeing-787-autoland

The source of the “pilot incapacitation” confusion

You may have seen or heard a radio message mentioning “pilot incapacitation.” That wasn’t a panicked human—it was the system’s standard phraseology. In this case, according to the operator, both pilots remained conscious and on oxygen. They decided the safest course was to let the automation finish.

Verified background and local accounts:

AOPA summary and Garmin statement: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2025/december/22/king-air-autolands-in-colorado
Local reporting with operator comments: https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/plane-emergency-landing-colorado-autoland
Witness attribution aligns with a local flight instructor at KBJC, Adam Lendi: https://www.wdef.com/plane-makes-safe-emergency-landing-in-colorado-without-a-pilots-help-in-first-autoland-use

If you want, we can pull specific ATC audio snippets that fed the early “incapacitation” headlines and set them side by side with the operator’s clarification.

What’s verified vs. what’s still being checked

Verified
- First confirmed real‑world emergency landing using Garmin Emergency Autoland.
- Two pilots were aboard, both used oxygen after a pressurization issue.
- Autoland flew, landed, and shut down the aircraft.
- No injuries reported.
Disputed/likely incorrect
- Claim that the pilot “fell out” or was unconscious. The operator’s account contradicts this.
Unknown/under investigation
- Exact technical cause of the rapid pressurization loss.
- Full FAA findings and any manufacturer or operator advisories that may follow.

The bigger picture: automation as a safety net

Think of Emergency Autoland like a car’s automatic braking — it’s designed for the worst day, not the best. On December 20, that safety net was used in the real world for the first time. The history-making part isn’t that an airplane can land itself; it’s that an autonomous emergency system did it end-to-end, in real operations, and likely helped a crew manage a stressful, time‑critical situation.

Bottom line

True: A Garmin emergency system landed the King Air in Colorado — a first in real‑world use.
Misleading: The pilot didn’t “fall out.” Two pilots were on oxygen and opted to let the system finish the flight.
What’s next: Expect the FAA investigation to pin down the pressurization issue and formalize the incident record.

Pilotless Landing Unveiling the Automated Flight Feat