FAA approves Garmin Autoland for Epic E1000 AX turboprop

Epic Aircraft says the FAA has certified Garmin Autoland on its E1000 AX, the company's newest single-engine turboprop. The approval covers a system built to land the aircraft if the pilot can no longer fly it.

The E1000 AX offers several Autoland activation points spread through the cabin, not just in the cockpit. Doug King, the manufacturer's chief executive, said in a news release that the arrangement puts the technology within reach of passengers and gives them reassurance. Instruments can be difficult for people unfamiliar with them, which is why the cabin buttons matter.

Autoland starts when someone presses its dedicated button, or automatically if the system concludes the pilot has been incapacitated. It then compares nearby airports against distance, runway length, available fuel, terrain and weather, and settles on the runway it judges most suitable. The aircraft flies itself toward that runway, telling passengers and air traffic control what it is doing as it goes. At the airport, the system lands the aircraft, shuts the engine down and brings it to a stop without anyone at the controls.

The system works as part of the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite and pairs with Garmin Autothrottle, also fitted to the E1000 AX, which manages engine power in flight to hold speed. Epic, based in Bend, Oregon, builds all-composite single-engine turboprops. The E1000 AX received its FAA type certificate in 2025.