Textron tests Emergency Autoland on the Citation CJ4 Gen3

Textron Aviation said on Sept. 25 that its flight-test pilots intentionally triggered Garmin Emergency Autoland on a Citation CJ4 Gen3 test aircraft as the light jet moves toward FAA certification.

• Sept. 25, 2026: Textron Aviation released CJ4 Gen3 test update
• Pilots Corey Eckhart and James Bearman conducted the test
• System tested: Garmin Emergency Autoland
• Aircraft: Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen3 test article
• Textron says CJ4 Gen3 is expected to be the first light jet with the feature at certification

Textron Aviation has moved the Citation CJ4 Gen3 closer to its next certification step by testing Garmin Emergency Autoland in flight. The test pilots deliberately activated the system so engineers could watch how it handled navigation, communications and landing tasks.

The key claim is that the CJ4 Gen3 is expected to become the first light jet in its market with Garmin Emergency Autoland available at certification. The aircraft also brings Garmin G3000 PRIME avionics to the CJ4 line.

For private jet users, this is about bringing automation once seen mainly in smaller owner-flown aircraft into a mainstream business jet. It could be especially relevant for owner-operators and passengers who worry about pilot incapacitation on single-pilot trips.