An air carrier light transport made a circling approach to below minimums inadvertently.

Attributes
ACN	233621
Time
Date	199302
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jst
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 425
ASRS Report	233621
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ZOB was giving us vectors to the final approach course when I, as first officer and PNF, checked and received the johnstown WX with johnstown tower. The local visibility was 3 mi, light snow and fog. This was approximately PM20 local. After center asked us what approach we wanted, he gave us the WX he had. I believe he said it was 1 mi, snow and fog among other things. The captain and PF said to take the VOR DME 15, circle to land runway 33 approach. I request that approach and center cleared us for the approach. We continued and, after established with tower, tower advised us that the visibility was down to 1 mi, snow and fog. We continued and circled left downwind and landed without any incident. We later realized what we did. Because our company uses CAT C for circling and CAT B for straight-INS, and we never did circling until then with WX down to minimums, we were complacent and not refreshed. No excuses here. More or recurrent training might do some good.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT MADE A CIRCLING APCH TO BELOW MINIMUMS INADVERTENTLY.

Narrative: ZOB WAS GIVING US VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE WHEN I, AS FO AND PNF, CHKED AND RECEIVED THE JOHNSTOWN WX WITH JOHNSTOWN TWR. THE LCL VISIBILITY WAS 3 MI, LIGHT SNOW AND FOG. THIS WAS APPROX PM20 LCL. AFTER CTR ASKED US WHAT APCH WE WANTED, HE GAVE US THE WX HE HAD. I BELIEVE HE SAID IT WAS 1 MI, SNOW AND FOG AMONG OTHER THINGS. THE CAPT AND PF SAID TO TAKE THE VOR DME 15, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 33 APCH. I REQUEST THAT APCH AND CTR CLRED US FOR THE APCH. WE CONTINUED AND, AFTER ESTABLISHED WITH TWR, TWR ADVISED US THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS DOWN TO 1 MI, SNOW AND FOG. WE CONTINUED AND CIRCLED L DOWNWIND AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. WE LATER REALIZED WHAT WE DID. BECAUSE OUR COMPANY USES CAT C FOR CIRCLING AND CAT B FOR STRAIGHT-INS, AND WE NEVER DID CIRCLING UNTIL THEN WITH WX DOWN TO MINIMUMS, WE WERE COMPLACENT AND NOT REFRESHED. NO EXCUSES HERE. MORE OR RECURRENT TRAINING MIGHT DO SOME GOOD.

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.