Narrative:

This was a part 135 flight from olu to aum. The WX at the time of departure was 25000' thin scattered at the point of landing (rochester area). The conditions were forecast to deteriorate, but not until later in the afternoon. As the flight progressed, the WX in the area of destination indicated a trend toward becoming lower. At aum, as it turned out, there was no WX reporting station, although altimeter settings were given by persons on the field. This permitted a lower minimum on approach. North of mcw it was clear that the WX was still VFR. Latest report at rst was 2000' scattered. As I was passed to the local approach controller at rsp, and started my initial approach to aum, I received the latest ATIS at rst. It was now 1400' overcast with visibility of 10 mi. I determined this to be still a station north of my intended landing (approximately 35 NM) and felt a vector through some thin clouds at approximately 3000-4000' would allow me VFR into aum. As I commenced the VOR approach at aum, I found that as I was descending and now in a landing confign, that indeed this was going to be an approach close to minimum. I elected to continue and the approach was uneventful with a good landing. Upon deplaning the passenger, I suddenly realized this approach and landing at an airport west/O WX observation or an approved observer was a violation of part 135. Even though the WX had deteriorated rapidly and in an unforecast manner, I now recognize I should have elected to break off the approach when I discovered the WX was not going to go VFR through a thin layer of clouds, and headed immediately to rst where the WX was actually worse, but it was a lawful approach. Wisdom of the regulation is clear, since there would have been no way to know at aum even though I was given the local altimeter setting as I made the approach, if in fact the WX was below landing minimum. This certainly will not happen again!

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PART 135 CHARTER PLT CONDUCTS APCH TO LNDG AT AN ARPT WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL WX OBSERVATION OR APPROVED OBSERVER.

Narrative: THIS WAS A PART 135 FLT FROM OLU TO AUM. THE WX AT THE TIME OF DEP WAS 25000' THIN SCATTERED AT THE POINT OF LNDG (ROCHESTER AREA). THE CONDITIONS WERE FORECAST TO DETERIORATE, BUT NOT UNTIL LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED, THE WX IN THE AREA OF DEST INDICATED A TREND TOWARD BECOMING LOWER. AT AUM, AS IT TURNED OUT, THERE WAS NO WX RPTING STATION, ALTHOUGH ALTIMETER SETTINGS WERE GIVEN BY PERSONS ON THE FIELD. THIS PERMITTED A LOWER MINIMUM ON APCH. N OF MCW IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE WX WAS STILL VFR. LATEST RPT AT RST WAS 2000' SCATTERED. AS I WAS PASSED TO THE LCL APCH CTLR AT RSP, AND STARTED MY INITIAL APCH TO AUM, I RECEIVED THE LATEST ATIS AT RST. IT WAS NOW 1400' OVCST WITH VISIBILITY OF 10 MI. I DETERMINED THIS TO BE STILL A STATION N OF MY INTENDED LNDG (APPROX 35 NM) AND FELT A VECTOR THROUGH SOME THIN CLOUDS AT APPROX 3000-4000' WOULD ALLOW ME VFR INTO AUM. AS I COMMENCED THE VOR APCH AT AUM, I FOUND THAT AS I WAS DSNDING AND NOW IN A LNDG CONFIGN, THAT INDEED THIS WAS GOING TO BE AN APCH CLOSE TO MINIMUM. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE AND THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH A GOOD LNDG. UPON DEPLANING THE PAX, I SUDDENLY REALIZED THIS APCH AND LNDG AT AN ARPT W/O WX OBSERVATION OR AN APPROVED OBSERVER WAS A VIOLATION OF PART 135. EVEN THOUGH THE WX HAD DETERIORATED RAPIDLY AND IN AN UNFORECAST MANNER, I NOW RECOGNIZE I SHOULD HAVE ELECTED TO BREAK OFF THE APCH WHEN I DISCOVERED THE WX WAS NOT GOING TO GO VFR THROUGH A THIN LAYER OF CLOUDS, AND HEADED IMMEDIATELY TO RST WHERE THE WX WAS ACTUALLY WORSE, BUT IT WAS A LAWFUL APCH. WISDOM OF THE REG IS CLEAR, SINCE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY TO KNOW AT AUM EVEN THOUGH I WAS GIVEN THE LCL ALTIMETER SETTING AS I MADE THE APCH, IF IN FACT THE WX WAS BELOW LNDG MINIMUM. THIS CERTAINLY WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.