Narrative:

When approximately 20 mi from airport, approach control advised RVR was 800 ft and asked if we could accept approach. This was fine since our minimums for CAT III are 700 ft RVR. For spacing, he vectored us through the localizer and back. Once established on intercept we were switched to tower. The first officer made 2 calls with no response. We were already near the marker and configured for landing. I noticed he had the wrong frequency dialed in and he corrected it and checked in with tower as the aircraft in front of us (a B-727) said he couldn't accept the approach as it was below his minimums. Tower issued him missed approach instructions and then we were able to check in. Tower never gave us any change in RVR but both of us thought we heard them given to the aircraft in front of us as we came on frequency. When I questioned the first officer as to what he heard, he echoed exactly what I had heard. 800 ft RVR to 700 ft RVR mid 700 ft RVR rollout. We continued and made an uneventful CAT III approach and autoland. After landing, the visibility was so bad, I began to question what the actual RVR was and wondered if we 'broke minimums.' I don't think so, but the problem here was I was so fixated on flying the approach -- my first to an RVR less than 1000 ft since our company changed our minimums -- the vector across the localizer and the missed radio frequency, I was blocking out all external stimulus. I was so tied up, I never asked the first officer to confirm the present RVR with tower. I assumed since tower never told us specifically that there was a change in RVR since we accepted the approach, everything was ok. It probably was, but I still feel uncomfortable for being so fixated that we never asked. I feel I should have briefed the first officer before the approach to confirm the RVR before landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LNDG AT MCO ENCOUNTERS LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS, LANDS AT LOWEST ALLOWED RVR.

Narrative: WHEN APPROX 20 MI FROM ARPT, APCH CTL ADVISED RVR WAS 800 FT AND ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT APCH. THIS WAS FINE SINCE OUR MINIMUMS FOR CAT III ARE 700 FT RVR. FOR SPACING, HE VECTORED US THROUGH THE LOC AND BACK. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON INTERCEPT WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR. THE FO MADE 2 CALLS WITH NO RESPONSE. WE WERE ALREADY NEAR THE MARKER AND CONFIGURED FOR LNDG. I NOTICED HE HAD THE WRONG FREQ DIALED IN AND HE CORRECTED IT AND CHKED IN WITH TWR AS THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US (A B-727) SAID HE COULDN'T ACCEPT THE APCH AS IT WAS BELOW HIS MINIMUMS. TWR ISSUED HIM MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO CHK IN. TWR NEVER GAVE US ANY CHANGE IN RVR BUT BOTH OF US THOUGHT WE HEARD THEM GIVEN TO THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US AS WE CAME ON FREQ. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE FO AS TO WHAT HE HEARD, HE ECHOED EXACTLY WHAT I HAD HEARD. 800 FT RVR TO 700 FT RVR MID 700 FT RVR ROLLOUT. WE CONTINUED AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL CAT III APCH AND AUTOLAND. AFTER LNDG, THE VISIBILITY WAS SO BAD, I BEGAN TO QUESTION WHAT THE ACTUAL RVR WAS AND WONDERED IF WE 'BROKE MINIMUMS.' I DON'T THINK SO, BUT THE PROB HERE WAS I WAS SO FIXATED ON FLYING THE APCH -- MY FIRST TO AN RVR LESS THAN 1000 FT SINCE OUR COMPANY CHANGED OUR MINIMUMS -- THE VECTOR ACROSS THE LOC AND THE MISSED RADIO FREQ, I WAS BLOCKING OUT ALL EXTERNAL STIMULUS. I WAS SO TIED UP, I NEVER ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM THE PRESENT RVR WITH TWR. I ASSUMED SINCE TWR NEVER TOLD US SPECIFICALLY THAT THERE WAS A CHANGE IN RVR SINCE WE ACCEPTED THE APCH, EVERYTHING WAS OK. IT PROBABLY WAS, BUT I STILL FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE FOR BEING SO FIXATED THAT WE NEVER ASKED. I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE BRIEFED THE FO BEFORE THE APCH TO CONFIRM THE RVR BEFORE LNDG.

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.