An aircraft flying IFR in unlimited visibility with total radio failure should do what?

• A. adopt a VFR flight level and continue flight onto destination
• B. land on the closest appropriate aerodrome, then advise Air Traffic Services of landing
• C. descend to En-route Minimum Safe Altitude and join closest airfield open to IFR operations
• D. continue flight onto destination, complying with last received clearances then with filed flight plan

Answer: (B)

When communications are lost while IFR, the priority is to land as soon as practicable at the nearest suitable aerodrome and then inform Air Traffic Services of the runway landing due to radio failure. Even with unlimited visibility, you cannot rely on ATC guidance to continue to the destination; you must take decisive action to land at the closest appropriate aerodrome so you can regain contact and ensure traffic separation is maintained. Continuing toward the destination under last clearance or filed flight plan would leave you flying without radio guidance, which isn’t acceptable in a failure situation. Descending to a minimum safe altitude isn’t the objective here unless it’s necessary to reach the nearest suitable aerodrome; the key is to land promptly and notify ATC after landing.