Narrative:

Probable approach commencement of approach with WX below approach minimums. Harlingen tower opens XA00 local. Contact with valley approach resulted in a vector to intercept the runway 17R localizer and clearance to fly the straight-in ILS runway 17R. I asked if WX was available, as tower had not yet opened. He said he would check. He called later and indicated tower's initial observation was 3/8 mi. Minimums were 1/2 mi. We decided to hold at sebas (OM for approach) until we contacted tower for a real time observation. As we approached sebas we were cleared to contact tower. At initial contact there was conversation on the frequency, we were completing the approach and before landing checklists. Tower cleared us to land, and the final approach was commenced. Approach/landing/rollout was completed without incident. Actual visibility was 1/2 - 1 mi and in some sectors 2 mi. At landing, I could see the end of the runway. The error I made was assuming that when hrl tower cleared us to land that the WX was 1/2 mi or better. Later, as I reflected with the crew, I realized my error. I know better, and was embarrassed to have put my crew, aircraft, and company in a bad position. The approach was well briefed and flown with exceptional crew coordination with the exception of checking visibility prior to approach. This incident occurred at the end of a 10 hour night of duty. I personally did not sleep well during the day. However, I am an experienced pilot and aware of sleep deprivation and long work-nights duty and the effects of rapid-paced activities. We were well organized throughout with the exception of all the activity at the OM, and failure to check WX and assuming clearance to land indicated above minimums. Our crew acknowledged the oversight and we emphasized the need to stop/hold anytime anyone begins to lose situational awareness. I was in error. At no time in 35 yrs of military (fighters) and civilian (all part 121) have I been violated or scratched an airplane. To my knowledge I have never even approached an encroachment of the regulations. But, I learned it can happen to you. Stay alert and stop the activity once situational awareness deteriorates.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE ACR FLC WAS PREPARED TO HOLD AT THE FAF FOR THE TWR TO OPEN AND THE VISIBILITY TO IMPROVE, BUT THE TWR OPENED EARLY AND CLRED THEM FOR THE APCH WHICH THEY MADE SUCCESSFULLY. LATER, THEY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD NOT INQUIRED ABOUT THE WX WHICH HAD BEEN RPTED BELOW MINIMUMS.

Narrative: PROBABLE APCH COMMENCEMENT OF APCH WITH WX BELOW APCH MINIMUMS. HARLINGEN TWR OPENS XA00 LCL. CONTACT WITH VALLEY APCH RESULTED IN A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 17R LOC AND CLRNC TO FLY THE STRAIGHT-IN ILS RWY 17R. I ASKED IF WX WAS AVAILABLE, AS TWR HAD NOT YET OPENED. HE SAID HE WOULD CHK. HE CALLED LATER AND INDICATED TWR'S INITIAL OBSERVATION WAS 3/8 MI. MINIMUMS WERE 1/2 MI. WE DECIDED TO HOLD AT SEBAS (OM FOR APCH) UNTIL WE CONTACTED TWR FOR A REAL TIME OBSERVATION. AS WE APCHED SEBAS WE WERE CLRED TO CONTACT TWR. AT INITIAL CONTACT THERE WAS CONVERSATION ON THE FREQ, WE WERE COMPLETING THE APCH AND BEFORE LNDG CHKLISTS. TWR CLRED US TO LAND, AND THE FINAL APCH WAS COMMENCED. APCH/LNDG/ROLLOUT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ACTUAL VISIBILITY WAS 1/2 - 1 MI AND IN SOME SECTORS 2 MI. AT LNDG, I COULD SEE THE END OF THE RWY. THE ERROR I MADE WAS ASSUMING THAT WHEN HRL TWR CLRED US TO LAND THAT THE WX WAS 1/2 MI OR BETTER. LATER, AS I REFLECTED WITH THE CREW, I REALIZED MY ERROR. I KNOW BETTER, AND WAS EMBARRASSED TO HAVE PUT MY CREW, ACFT, AND COMPANY IN A BAD POS. THE APCH WAS WELL BRIEFED AND FLOWN WITH EXCEPTIONAL CREW COORD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHKING VISIBILITY PRIOR TO APCH. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE END OF A 10 HR NIGHT OF DUTY. I PERSONALLY DID NOT SLEEP WELL DURING THE DAY. HOWEVER, I AM AN EXPERIENCED PLT AND AWARE OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND LONG WORK-NIGHTS DUTY AND THE EFFECTS OF RAPID-PACED ACTIVITIES. WE WERE WELL ORGANIZED THROUGHOUT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ALL THE ACTIVITY AT THE OM, AND FAILURE TO CHK WX AND ASSUMING CLRNC TO LAND INDICATED ABOVE MINIMUMS. OUR CREW ACKNOWLEDGED THE OVERSIGHT AND WE EMPHASIZED THE NEED TO STOP/HOLD ANYTIME ANYONE BEGINS TO LOSE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I WAS IN ERROR. AT NO TIME IN 35 YRS OF MIL (FIGHTERS) AND CIVILIAN (ALL PART 121) HAVE I BEEN VIOLATED OR SCRATCHED AN AIRPLANE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE I HAVE NEVER EVEN APCHED AN ENCROACHMENT OF THE REGS. BUT, I LEARNED IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU. STAY ALERT AND STOP THE ACTIVITY ONCE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS DETERIORATES.

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.