In air traffic control audio, it is possible to hear the moment when an automatic message alerts controllers to the fact that the pilot is no longer in control of the aircraft and that the plane would land at the nearest airport. The system then reported the aircraft number, mentioned the “pilot’s incapacitation” and updated, in real time, the distance to the landing strip.
Initially, the possibility that the emergency button had been activated by a passenger after the pilot became unwell was put on the table, but Garmin CEO, Chris Townsley, denied the information to CBS News, clarifying that the mention of the pilot’s incapacitation was automatically generated by the emergency system.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the landing occurred safely and that the case is being investigated. “A Beechcraft Super King Air landed safely at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Colorado around 2:20 pm (local time) on Saturday, December 20, after the pilot lost communication with air traffic control. An automatic emergency landing system was activated (autoland) on board. Two people were on board. The FAA is investigating the case”, says the note.