Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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Garmin issued a <a href="https://support.garmin.com/en-US/aviation/faq/02W9shbwZE6EjBT9eUHLn6/">service alert</a> on Thursday that reminds pilots to follow instrument approach procedure minimum descent altitude (MDA) limits when flying an approach with advisory vertical guidance. These approaches are identified by a “+V” indication on primary flight displays.
While the alert doesn’t mention the February 13 <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2026-03-02/ntsb-finds-no-aircraft-anomalies-ksbs-accident">crash</a> of an Epic E1000 on approach to Colorado’s Steamboat Springs Airport (KSBS), this accident raised questions about the importance of not following the advisory glide path below the MDA unless the required runway environment is in view.
According to the service alert, “Garmin avionics may display advisory vertical guidance (+V) during certain nonprecision instrument approaches. Advisory vertical guidance provides vertical path information only and does not provide obstacle or terrain clearance assurance in the visual segment of an approach. Although advisory vertical guidance can assist with maintaining a glide path angle that complies with altitude restrictions, it remains the pilot’s responsibility to fly in strict compliance with the published approach procedure.”
“While an advisory glide path indication may be displayed, this guidance must not be flown below the published MDA without having met the conditions prescribed in FAR 91.175.
“Advisory vertical guidance is intended to assist with continuous descent final approach technique but does not change approach classification or minima and must not be relied upon for obstacle or terrain clearance, particularly in the visual segment of the approach.”

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Garmin Service Alert Cautions Pilots about Descent Below MDA

Advisory glide paths do not provide obstacle or terrain clearance assurance

According to Garmin, “Advisory vertical guidance provides vertical path information only and does not provide obstacle or terrain clearance assurance.”

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