What happens when a fail passive autopilot landing system experiences a system failure?

In a fail passive autopilot landing system, when a system failure occurs, the design of the system requires that the pilot must take over and manually land the aircraft. This approach ensures a high level of safety because it recognizes that in the event of a malfunction, the autopilot cannot safely perform its function without pilot oversight.

Fail passive systems are designed with the understanding that situations may arise where automatic functions can no longer be relied upon. Therefore, pilot intervention is necessary to ensure the safe continuation of the landing process. Such systems are engineered to alert the pilot of the failure condition promptly, allowing for timely action.

Reverting to a backup system or self-correcting mechanisms might mislead one to believe that additional layers of automation could handle the failure seamlessly, but in fail passive systems, they are not designed to assure safety without human involvement in such critical moments. Thus, the necessity for manual landing by the pilot in the event of a failure highlights the system’s commitment to prioritizing safety above complete automation.