25 July 2026
The ICON A5 amphibious light sport aircraft is set to return to production next year under new ownership, with every new aircraft equipped with a sophisticated safety system designed to tackle one of the biggest killers in amphibious flying.
Unveiled at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, ICON Sense uses predictive software to determine whether a pilot intends to land on water or a runway and warns them if the landing gear is incorrectly configured before touchdown. The technology will be fitted to newly built aircraft and will also be offered as a retrofit for the existing A5 fleet.
The announcement marks another milestone in ICON Aircraft’s recovery after the Californian manufacturer entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2024. The company was subsequently acquired by SG Investment America, part of the Chinese Shang Gong Group, which also owns Flight Design. Production of the distinctive carbon-fibre amphibian is expected to restart in 2027 after a three-year pause.
Landing on water with the wheels down or on a runway with the wheels retracted remains the leading cause of fatal accidents involving amphibious aircraft. ICON believes its new system could dramatically reduce that risk.
Skytron Avionics operating Avilution’s XFS software
Developed with avionics specialists Avilution and Skytron Avionics, ICON Sense combines GPS data, radar altitude, aircraft performance, engine power, descent rate, aircraft configuration and high-resolution global water mapping to predict where the aircraft will touch down. It can determine whether the intended landing surface is water or land before confirming that the landing gear is correctly configured. If not, the pilot receives a clear spoken warning in time to abandon the approach and reposition the gear.
Unlike simpler gear warning systems, ICON says the predictive software greatly reduces nuisance alerts, helping ensure pilots continue to pay attention when genuine warnings occur.
The package also adds radar altimeter callouts, surface proximity alerts and spoken warnings for faults including landing gear and flap failures, low fuel and a dry bilge pump, all integrated with the aircraft’s existing crew alerting system.
ICON A5 will return to production in 2027
“Customer safety is our ultimate priority at ICON,” said Rodolfo Correa, the company’s Vice President of Operations. “Avilution has delivered an intuitive, reliable safeguard that seamlessly supports our pilots when it matters most.”
Avilution founder Mark Spencer believes the technology has applications beyond the A5.
“Wrong-gear landings are the number one cause of fatal accidents in amphibious aircraft,” he said. “We look forward to adapting our XFS technology to additional aircraft manufacturers’ needs.”
ICON Sense is available for pre-order now, with deliveries expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. Pricing has yet to be announced.
Since entering service in 2014, more than 200 ICON A5s have been delivered worldwide. With its folding wings, Rotax powerplant and spin-resistant design, the aircraft has become one of the most recognisable light sport aircraft on the market.
