A standard instrument approach procedure in which only horizontal guidance is provided describes which approach?

• A. Contact approach
• B. Nonprecision approach
• C. Visual approach
• D. Precision approach

Answer: (B)

Nonprecision approaches give you lateral guidance to the runway but no continuous vertical guidance. You’re provided a course to fly and altitude step-downs, but there isn’t a published glide slope to follow. Descent is to a minimum descent altitude (MDA) and continued either visually or by the published step-down fixes, rather than on a continuous vertical path. That’s why this describes a nonprecision approach.

A precision approach, in contrast, provides both horizontal and vertical guidance (a glide slope). A visual approach relies on clear visibility and outside references rather than instrument guidance. A contact approach is a different IFR operation with its own requirements and isn’t defined by horizontal guidance alone.