Definition
Items of aircraft equipment, ground-based navigation aids, or approach lighting components listed on a published instrument approach chart that are not functioning. When such components are unavailable, the Inoperative Components Table in the front of the U.S. Terminal Procedures Publication specifies required adjustments to the published approach minimums (typically a higher decision altitude or minimum descent altitude, increased visibility, or both).
Plain English
Pieces of equipment used during an instrument approach -- either in the airplane or on the ground -- that aren't working. When something is broken or unavailable, the rules require the pilot to use higher altitudes or better visibility before they can legally land.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight checks, instrument panel checks, maintenance records review, and go/no-go decisions before a flight.
Derivation
Inoperative' comes from the Latin 'in-' (not) plus 'operari' (to work). So it literally means 'not working.' Plain and accurate -- if a component is inoperative, it isn't doing its job, and the approach minimums have to be adjusted to compensate.
Why Pilots Care
Determines whether an approach remains legal to fly and what minimums must be used when part of the system is unavailable.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “inoperative” simply means “broken, but probably okay.” In aviation, an inoperative component is a formal airworthiness issue: the part is not working, and the pilot must determine whether the aircraft may be flown that way.
Example Sentence 1
Before starting the approach, the pilot checked the Inoperative Components Table because the approach lighting system at the destination was out of service.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot checked the inoperative components table before deciding to continue the ILS approach.