Air carrier departs IFR with questionable minimums.

Attributes
ACN	141169
Time
Date	199003
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lft
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	141169
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Taxiing out to runway 21 the tower open at 0600 and reported WX as 500 broken, 1/2 mi, RVV runway 21 1/8 mi. I asked what the official visibility was. The controller said the official visibility was 1/2 mi. I departed runway 21L using the official visibility. I feel if I was wrong in departing runway 21L the tower should have stated the official takeoff visibility on runway 21L was 1/8 mi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DEPARTS IFR WITH QUESTIONABLE MINIMUMS.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT TO RWY 21 THE TWR OPEN AT 0600 AND RPTED WX AS 500 BROKEN, 1/2 MI, RVV RWY 21 1/8 MI. I ASKED WHAT THE OFFICIAL VISIBILITY WAS. THE CTLR SAID THE OFFICIAL VISIBILITY WAS 1/2 MI. I DEPARTED RWY 21L USING THE OFFICIAL VISIBILITY. I FEEL IF I WAS WRONG IN DEPARTING RWY 21L THE TWR SHOULD HAVE STATED THE OFFICIAL TKOF VISIBILITY ON RWY 21L WAS 1/8 MI.

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.