Narrative:

I did a charter from mem to gfk with an alternate at mot. Upon checking the WX, gfk called winds 180 degrees at 12 KTS with one half mi visibility, freezing drizzle and 400 ft overcast. Their forecast for our time of arrival was: wind 090 degrees at 12 KTS, better than 6 mi visibility, and 1500 ft overcast till XA00. About 60 NM from gfk, I had my copilot radio gfk tower to check on WX and visibility. Gfk tower reported WX 400 ft overcast, three eighths mi visibility and light snow. At that time I had my copilot tell them we needed one half mi visibility for the approach. We had also checked WX with FSS who told us gfk was 400 ft overcast, one half mi visibility, wind 220 degrees at 6 KTS, light snow. When we were turned over to gfk approach control, they told us to descend out of 11000 ft to 2600 ft, expect localizer back course runway 17. We then told approach we would like the ILS to runway 35L. He said 'roger, expect ILS runway 35L, wind 220 degrees at 9 KTS, greater than three eighths mi visibility with snow.' we were descending at the time of this transmission in some freezing rain and we were getting a lot of static in our radios. We did our approach checks and the co-pilot told me the visability was greater than three eighths mi visibility, coming up to one half mi visibility. We then got a vector at 240 degrees, at which time we set up and tuned and idented the approach. Then we got another turn to 330 degrees, maintain 2600 ft till established on the localizer, cleared for the ILS runway 35L, 4 mi from the OM and contact tower on 118.40. By this time we were getting approach flap, and gear, and calling tower who cleared us to land. We began our timing and approach as we crossed the OM. At 500 ft AGL copilot said, 'I've got the lead-in lights.' at 375-350 ft AGL, copilot called runway in sight at which I went visual and landed the aircraft. I believe we should have asked tower if greater than three eighths = one half mi, more or less than one half mi visibility. In my opinion, saying greater than three eighths mi is very open. This situation can be corrected by having better communication between crew and ATC, or tower in this case. Being professional pilots, we should have confirmed one half mi visibility, even though we were very busy with the approach. In the future, this crew will have exact visibility called to us, or not accept the approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LR35A CHARTER FLC MAKES APCH AND LNDG WITH DUBIOUS MINIMUMS. APCH STATES THREE EIGHTHS MI VISIBILITY WITH A REQUIRED ONE HALF MI. TWR CTLR STATES 'GREATER THAN THREE EIGHTHS MI VISIBILITY.' DUE TO STATIC RECEPTION WAS POOR AND FO SAID VISIBILITY COMING UP TO ONE HALF MI. AFTER THE LNDG, FLC HAD SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT MAKING THE APCH WITH THOSE MINIMUMS.

Narrative: I DID A CHARTER FROM MEM TO GFK WITH AN ALTERNATE AT MOT. UPON CHKING THE WX, GFK CALLED WINDS 180 DEGS AT 12 KTS WITH ONE HALF MI VISIBILITY, FREEZING DRIZZLE AND 400 FT OVCST. THEIR FORECAST FOR OUR TIME OF ARR WAS: WIND 090 DEGS AT 12 KTS, BETTER THAN 6 MI VISIBILITY, AND 1500 FT OVCST TILL XA00. ABOUT 60 NM FROM GFK, I HAD MY COPLT RADIO GFK TWR TO CHK ON WX AND VISIBILITY. GFK TWR RPTED WX 400 FT OVCST, THREE EIGHTHS MI VISIBILITY AND LIGHT SNOW. AT THAT TIME I HAD MY COPLT TELL THEM WE NEEDED ONE HALF MI VISIBILITY FOR THE APCH. WE HAD ALSO CHKED WX WITH FSS WHO TOLD US GFK WAS 400 FT OVCST, ONE HALF MI VISIBILITY, WIND 220 DEGS AT 6 KTS, LIGHT SNOW. WHEN WE WERE TURNED OVER TO GFK APCH CTL, THEY TOLD US TO DSND OUT OF 11000 FT TO 2600 FT, EXPECT LOC BACK COURSE RWY 17. WE THEN TOLD APCH WE WOULD LIKE THE ILS TO RWY 35L. HE SAID 'ROGER, EXPECT ILS RWY 35L, WIND 220 DEGS AT 9 KTS, GREATER THAN THREE EIGHTHS MI VISIBILITY WITH SNOW.' WE WERE DSNDING AT THE TIME OF THIS XMISSION IN SOME FREEZING RAIN AND WE WERE GETTING A LOT OF STATIC IN OUR RADIOS. WE DID OUR APPROACH CHECKS AND THE CO-PILOT TOLD ME THE VISABILITY WAS GREATER THAN THREE EIGHTHS MI VISIBILITY, COMING UP TO ONE HALF MI VISIBILITY. WE THEN GOT A VECTOR AT 240 DEGS, AT WHICH TIME WE SET UP AND TUNED AND IDENTED THE APCH. THEN WE GOT ANOTHER TURN TO 330 DEGS, MAINTAIN 2600 FT TILL ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC, CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 35L, 4 MI FROM THE OM AND CONTACT TWR ON 118.40. BY THIS TIME WE WERE GETTING APCH FLAP, AND GEAR, AND CALLING TWR WHO CLRED US TO LAND. WE BEGAN OUR TIMING AND APCH AS WE CROSSED THE OM. AT 500 FT AGL COPLT SAID, 'I'VE GOT THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS.' AT 375-350 FT AGL, COPLT CALLED RWY IN SIGHT AT WHICH I WENT VISUAL AND LANDED THE ACFT. I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED TWR IF GREATER THAN THREE EIGHTHS = ONE HALF MI, MORE OR LESS THAN ONE HALF MI VISIBILITY. IN MY OPINION, SAYING GREATER THAN THREE EIGHTHS MI IS VERY OPEN. THIS SIT CAN BE CORRECTED BY HAVING BETTER COM BTWN CREW AND ATC, OR TWR IN THIS CASE. BEING PROFESSIONAL PLTS, WE SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED ONE HALF MI VISIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE VERY BUSY WITH THE APCH. IN THE FUTURE, THIS CREW WILL HAVE EXACT VISIBILITY CALLED TO US, OR NOT ACCEPT THE APCH.

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.