Video shows autopilot system saving unconscious pilot's life

An advanced autopilot system is being credited with saving the life of a student pilot who blacked out during an F-16 training flight.

The incident occurred on May 5 when the person at the helm lost consciousness due to a maneuver that "subjected [him] to about eight times the normal force of gravity."

A recently declassified dashcam video from the U.S. Air Force Arizona Air National Guard shows the pilot rotating the plane at altitude of just over 17,000 feet when it starts plunging downward soon after.

After dropping to just over 12,000 feet, a voice belonging to the student's instructor can be heard on the intercom repeating "2 recover."

RELATED: World's best pilots perform amazing moves

Once the plane descends below 9,000 feet, a technology known as the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System activates, righting the aircraft and triggering an ascent to avoid a crash.

According to Aviation Week & Space Technology, "The event is considered the fourth confirmed 'save' of an aircraft by the system since [it] was introduced into the Air Force F-16 fleet in late 2014."

Advertisement