Narrative:

The captain initiated and executed a contact approach to the buf airport which is prohibited by our operation specifications. While on a 4 day trip with a captain who was going to retire and was flying his last trip the following events took place. At the beginning of the trip the captain explained what was expected of me. He likes to do all checklists, he does not arm the ground spoilers for landing (a required item), he does reduce power takeoffs with a reduction he figures out himself, not by using the book. He said we would get along great if I followed his few simple rules. The WX at buf was reported as 5 scattered, 100 scattered, 250 overcast, 2 1/2 F. We were 15 mi southeast of buf being vectored for the ILS to runway 5. It was the captain's leg. While descending through 11000 ft MSL the captain picked up the microphone and requested a contact approach. The controller then cleared us to the LOM for runway 5 and said to expect the contact approach. This caught me off guard because I was not 100 percent sure that we could do a contact approach but I knew that we were not authorized to do circling approachs unless the WX is 1000/3 VFR. Between 5-10 mi from the airport the captain called the runway in sight and we were cleared for the contact approach. Because the runway was in sight and we were in a critical phase of flight, I decided not to challenge the captain. We land without conflict. While at the gate I confirmed that the contact approach was prohibited. I mentioned to the captain that our approach to buf was the first contact approach that I had flown with our airline. I also stated that I did not think we were allowed to do them since circling approachs were prohibited. He stated that he thought the WX was decreasing and he wanted to get the aircraft on the ground before the fog rolled in. At this time he mentioned that he had previously made circling approachs in IFR conditions and also landed with a tailwind greater than 10 KTS in order to get the flight to their destination without taking a holding delay. The captain seemed quite proud of this. After hearing this I decided that no matter what I said the captain was going to do whatever he wanted without regard for our operation specifications. Crew resource management clearly failed in this instance. The captain was on his last trip and made it perfectly clear that he was the captain and that it was his airplane. In this case I had to decide whether to challenge the captain in-flight. I felt it was better to situation tight and sort things out on the ground. The safety of flight was never in doubt. This captain was difficult to fly with. The cockpit environment was strange because the captain failed to follow prescribed procedures. I am glad it was this captain's last trip!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG MADE A CONTACT APCH INTO BUF. THIS TYPE APCH IS NOT PERMITTED PER AIRLINE OPERATING MANUAL.

Narrative: THE CAPT INITIATED AND EXECUTED A CONTACT APCH TO THE BUF ARPT WHICH IS PROHIBITED BY OUR OP SPECS. WHILE ON A 4 DAY TRIP WITH A CAPT WHO WAS GOING TO RETIRE AND WAS FLYING HIS LAST TRIP THE FOLLOWING EVENTS TOOK PLACE. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP THE CAPT EXPLAINED WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF ME. HE LIKES TO DO ALL CHKLISTS, HE DOES NOT ARM THE GND SPOILERS FOR LNDG (A REQUIRED ITEM), HE DOES REDUCE PWR TKOFS WITH A REDUCTION HE FIGURES OUT HIMSELF, NOT BY USING THE BOOK. HE SAID WE WOULD GET ALONG GREAT IF I FOLLOWED HIS FEW SIMPLE RULES. THE WX AT BUF WAS RPTED AS 5 SCATTERED, 100 SCATTERED, 250 OVCST, 2 1/2 F. WE WERE 15 MI SE OF BUF BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS TO RWY 5. IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG. WHILE DSNDING THROUGH 11000 FT MSL THE CAPT PICKED UP THE MICROPHONE AND REQUESTED A CONTACT APCH. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US TO THE LOM FOR RWY 5 AND SAID TO EXPECT THE CONTACT APCH. THIS CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD BECAUSE I WAS NOT 100 PERCENT SURE THAT WE COULD DO A CONTACT APCH BUT I KNEW THAT WE WERE NOT AUTHORIZED TO DO CIRCLING APCHS UNLESS THE WX IS 1000/3 VFR. BTWN 5-10 MI FROM THE ARPT THE CAPT CALLED THE RWY IN SIGHT AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE CONTACT APCH. BECAUSE THE RWY WAS IN SIGHT AND WE WERE IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT, I DECIDED NOT TO CHALLENGE THE CAPT. WE LAND WITHOUT CONFLICT. WHILE AT THE GATE I CONFIRMED THAT THE CONTACT APCH WAS PROHIBITED. I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT THAT OUR APCH TO BUF WAS THE FIRST CONTACT APCH THAT I HAD FLOWN WITH OUR AIRLINE. I ALSO STATED THAT I DID NOT THINK WE WERE ALLOWED TO DO THEM SINCE CIRCLING APCHS WERE PROHIBITED. HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE WX WAS DECREASING AND HE WANTED TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND BEFORE THE FOG ROLLED IN. AT THIS TIME HE MENTIONED THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY MADE CIRCLING APCHS IN IFR CONDITIONS AND ALSO LANDED WITH A TAILWIND GREATER THAN 10 KTS IN ORDER TO GET THE FLT TO THEIR DEST WITHOUT TAKING A HOLDING DELAY. THE CAPT SEEMED QUITE PROUD OF THIS. AFTER HEARING THIS I DECIDED THAT NO MATTER WHAT I SAID THE CAPT WAS GOING TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTED WITHOUT REGARD FOR OUR OP SPECS. CREW RESOURCE MGMNT CLRLY FAILED IN THIS INSTANCE. THE CAPT WAS ON HIS LAST TRIP AND MADE IT PERFECTLY CLR THAT HE WAS THE CAPT AND THAT IT WAS HIS AIRPLANE. IN THIS CASE I HAD TO DECIDE WHETHER TO CHALLENGE THE CAPT INFLT. I FELT IT WAS BETTER TO SIT TIGHT AND SORT THINGS OUT ON THE GND. THE SAFETY OF FLT WAS NEVER IN DOUBT. THIS CAPT WAS DIFFICULT TO FLY WITH. THE COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT WAS STRANGE BECAUSE THE CAPT FAILED TO FOLLOW PRESCRIBED PROCS. I AM GLAD IT WAS THIS CAPT'S LAST TRIP!

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.