Narrative:

I am a new captain on the aircraft with less than 100 hours as captain. Flight planning at mht with WX at ord below my minimums, I conferred with dispatch and we mutually agreed to add fuel and be able to hold as long as possible in the ord area pending WX improvement. Arriving in ord area WX was still below my minimums of 300-1. Held at story intersection for over 1 hour as WX at ord was on improving trend. Conferred with dispatch and changed alternate to grr, deleting msp and dtw in order to extend hold capability. WX finally improved with RVR of 5000' and we were pulled from holding to begin vectoring for approach. As we were intercepting ILS to 14L, about 10 mi from OM, approach control stated RVR was now 2800'. We informed approach we needed 4500' or 1 mi to begin approach. Controller's response was to stay on approach and to inform tower of intentions. It was at this time that I realized that because of the time I had spent in the holding that the possibility existed that my minimums might convert to c-i as the extra flight time might put me over 100 hours. The last WX for my alternate, grr, was deteriorating where WX at ord was improving. If we now abandoned the approach and diverted to grr, there was the distinct possibility that the WX at grr would be worse than at ord, and fuel considerations were becoming important. Not having the time to rechk the WX at grr and to accurately add my time, I decided to rebrief the approach to 14L for c-i minimums as the last reported RVR was 2800'. We set our bugs to 852', or 200' above field elevation. At 900' the runway approach lights were visible and at 852' the decision bar and runway threshold were visible with aircraft perfectly aligned with runway. At 50' below MDA I disconnected the autoplt and landed. A normal 40 degree flap landing was made with a normal stop and we exited runway 14L at the high speed about midway down runway. We informed tower we were clear and taxied to gate. It was not until later when I added my time that it showed I had 98:55, not the 100 hours required to observe c-i minimums. Under all variables that affected this flight I feel that the decision to continue approach to c-i minimums was the safest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HI-MINIMUM CAPT HELD IN ORD AREA AWAITING WX IMPROVEMENT TO HIS MINIMUMS. CLEARED FOR APCH WHEN WX IMPROVED, BUT WENT DOWN AGAIN ON FINAL. HOLDING TIME HAD ALMOST INCREASED TIME TO 100 HOURS, SO LANDED ANYWAY.

Narrative: I AM A NEW CAPT ON THE ACFT WITH LESS THAN 100 HRS AS CAPT. FLT PLANNING AT MHT WITH WX AT ORD BELOW MY MINIMUMS, I CONFERRED WITH DISPATCH AND WE MUTUALLY AGREED TO ADD FUEL AND BE ABLE TO HOLD AS LONG AS POSSIBLE IN THE ORD AREA PENDING WX IMPROVEMENT. ARRIVING IN ORD AREA WX WAS STILL BELOW MY MINIMUMS OF 300-1. HELD AT STORY INTXN FOR OVER 1 HR AS WX AT ORD WAS ON IMPROVING TREND. CONFERRED WITH DISPATCH AND CHANGED ALTERNATE TO GRR, DELETING MSP AND DTW IN ORDER TO EXTEND HOLD CAPABILITY. WX FINALLY IMPROVED WITH RVR OF 5000' AND WE WERE PULLED FROM HOLDING TO BEGIN VECTORING FOR APCH. AS WE WERE INTERCEPTING ILS TO 14L, ABOUT 10 MI FROM OM, APCH CTL STATED RVR WAS NOW 2800'. WE INFORMED APCH WE NEEDED 4500' OR 1 MI TO BEGIN APCH. CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS TO STAY ON APCH AND TO INFORM TWR OF INTENTIONS. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I REALIZED THAT BECAUSE OF THE TIME I HAD SPENT IN THE HOLDING THAT THE POSSIBILITY EXISTED THAT MY MINIMUMS MIGHT CONVERT TO C-I AS THE EXTRA FLT TIME MIGHT PUT ME OVER 100 HRS. THE LAST WX FOR MY ALTERNATE, GRR, WAS DETERIORATING WHERE WX AT ORD WAS IMPROVING. IF WE NOW ABANDONED THE APCH AND DIVERTED TO GRR, THERE WAS THE DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT THE WX AT GRR WOULD BE WORSE THAN AT ORD, AND FUEL CONSIDERATIONS WERE BECOMING IMPORTANT. NOT HAVING THE TIME TO RECHK THE WX AT GRR AND TO ACCURATELY ADD MY TIME, I DECIDED TO REBRIEF THE APCH TO 14L FOR C-I MINIMUMS AS THE LAST RPTED RVR WAS 2800'. WE SET OUR BUGS TO 852', OR 200' ABOVE FIELD ELEVATION. AT 900' THE RWY APCH LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE AND AT 852' THE DECISION BAR AND RWY THRESHOLD WERE VISIBLE WITH ACFT PERFECTLY ALIGNED WITH RWY. AT 50' BELOW MDA I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND LANDED. A NORMAL 40 DEG FLAP LNDG WAS MADE WITH A NORMAL STOP AND WE EXITED RWY 14L AT THE HIGH SPD ABOUT MIDWAY DOWN RWY. WE INFORMED TWR WE WERE CLR AND TAXIED TO GATE. IT WAS NOT UNTIL LATER WHEN I ADDED MY TIME THAT IT SHOWED I HAD 98:55, NOT THE 100 HRS REQUIRED TO OBSERVE C-I MINIMUMS. UNDER ALL VARIABLES THAT AFFECTED THIS FLT I FEEL THAT THE DECISION TO CONTINUE APCH TO C-I MINIMUMS WAS THE SAFEST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.