Plain English Meaning

When flying an instrument approach, you can only descend below the published minimum altitude and land if you can clearly see specific parts of the runway environment with your eyes. 'Adequate visual reference' means you have enough of those required visual cues in sight to continue the approach safely.

Full Definition

The visual cues a pilot must be able to see and identify in order to safely continue an instrument approach below the Decision Altitude (DA), Decision Height (DH), or Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) and land. Under 14 CFR 91.175, this means the flight visibility is at or above the published minimum and the pilot can distinctly see and identify at least one of the specified visual references for the -- such as the , , , , (), (), , , , runway, or -- using .