Plain English Meaning

What you do if your radios stop working while flying on instruments. The rules tell you which route to fly, what altitude to hold, and when to begin your approach, so ATC can predict where you will be even though they cannot talk to you.

Full Definition

The set of regulatory rules a pilot must follow when two-way radio contact with air traffic control is lost during IFR flight. Under 14 CFR 91.185, the pilot continues the flight using prescribed defaults for route, altitude, and timing: fly the route assigned in the last ATC clearance (or, if none, the route ATC told you to expect, or the route filed); fly the highest of the assigned, expected, or minimum IFR altitude for each segment; and depart the at the expected further time or, if none was given, on the .