Definition
A table published in the front of the Terminal Procedures Publication (TPP) that lists adjustments pilots must apply to the published landing minimums of an instrument approach when specific approach lights or visual aids are out of service. The table specifies which components, when inoperative, require an increase in visibility minimums (and in some cases the decision altitude or minimum descent altitude) for the approach to remain legal to fly.
Plain English
When certain runway or approach lights are broken, you can't always use the lowest weather minimums printed on the approach chart. This table tells you how much higher to set those minimums to compensate for the missing lights.
Context Anchor
A pilot encounters this table when reviewing an instrument approach chart and checking whether any runway lights, approach lights, or other visual aids are reported out of service before flying the approach.
Why Pilots Care
Allows safe continuation of an approach by adjusting minimums when equipment fails instead of canceling the procedure outright.
Intuition Check
This is not just a maintenance list of broken airport items. In this context, the table tells the pilot how the approach requirements change when those items are not available.
Example Sentence 1
During the approach briefing, the captain checked the Inoperative Components and Visual Aids Table after seeing a NOTAM that the MALSR was out of service.
Example Sentence 2
Using the table the crew raised the required visibility by one quarter mile for the inoperative RVR system.