PLT420: Instrument Approach Procedures
What code PLT420 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Instrument Approach Procedures before your checkride.
Recall regulations - instrument approach procedures 11
What this means for your checkride
When flying an instrument approach, the pilot may not operate below the authorized MDA or continue below the authorized DA/DH unless the aircraft is continuously in a position to land using normal maneuvers, the flight visibility is not less than the visibility prescribed for the approach, and at least one of the required visual references for the runway is distinctly visible. If those conditions are not met, a missed approach is required.
Pilots must know the exact legal requirements for descending on and completing an instrument approach.
Reaching the MDA or DA/DH does not by itself permit landing; the visibility and visual reference conditions must also be satisfied.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.