[2] A contact approach will only be issued if the aircraft operates clear of clouds with at least 1 statute mile (1.6 km) of flight visibility, with a reasonable expectation of continuing to the destination airport under those conditions.
[1] In executing a contact approach, the pilot is responsible for obstruction clearance, but ATC will still provide separation from other IFR or special VFR traffic.
[3] ATC seldom permits a contact approach in complex, busy airspace like that typically found around major commercial airports.
In such conditions, experts advise it should only be attempted by pilots intimately familiar with the destination airport, surrounding terrain, and prevailing weather, and whose experience suggests the approach can be completed safely.
[2] The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), emphasizes that the contact approach is a substitute for an IAP only where one exists.