Autonomous emergency light unit for an aircraft and emergency lighting system comprising such light unit

An autonomous emergency light unit (2) for an aircraft has a power input (4) for receiving power from an external power supply, a capacitor (8), at least one LED (10a, 10b, 10n) and a light unit control logic (12) for operating the emergency light unit (2) in a plurality of operating states as a response to external control information. The plurality of operating states includes a discharge and illumination state when no power input is sensed at the power input, a charge and illumination state when power is still sensed at the power input, an armed and charged state, a sensed crash state and a shutdown state. The control unit activates a respective state by controlling switches in the light unit.