Daher has earned FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification of Garmin’s emergency autoland system, called HomeSafe, on its TBM 940 turboprop.
The system, activated by the push of a button, automatically brings the aircraft to a runway and lands should the pilot become incapacitated.
The approvals clear the way for deliveries with the factory-equipped system. TBM 940s already delivered in 2020 will be upgraded at TBM service centers. It is also available for retrofit for an introductory price of $85,000.
HomeSafe is obtainable as part of the Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck. It has been under development for the TBM since 2017. Work included software implementation and a flight test campaign that included 200 automated landings.
“Daher’s innovation has taken us to this turning point, and we are committed to providing the highest safety and protection to pilots, their families and passengers,” said Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of Daher’s Aircraft Division. “Without a doubt, HomeSafe™ will become an aviation standard.”
The system is activated manually by a button on the cockpit instrument panel or semi-automatically if the Emergency Descent Mode has been engaged. The software integrates weather and terrain information to select the best airport for landing, taking into account fuel range and runway length.
When activated, occupants are briefed by a safety video on the aircraft’s multifunction display and air traffic is informed of the situation by an automated message. The system automatically sets the transponder to emergency squawk code, provides inputs to flight controls, adjusts the engine power settings through touchdown, activates landing gear brakes and shuts down the engine upon landing.
The pilot can override the function at any time and resume normal flight conditions by disconnecting the autopilot.
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