Narrative:

Upon arrival into sfo area, bay approach advised us sfo had touchdown visual of 1200 ft. I'm a newly qualified captain and have a high minimum restr of CAT ii minimums. Therefore, we received vectors and clearance to start the approach to ILS runway 28R (autoland) since we had CAT ii minimums. We were established on the approach when the controller said the RVR was now 800 ft, so we told him we needed to go missed approach. He then gave us a heading and altitude away from the approach course, and we complied. After extensive vectoring and waiting for the WX to improve, we were cleared for the approach again after the RVR improved to 1200 ft. Approach controller then switched us to tower, who then advised the aircraft ahead of us that the RVR was now 1000 ft. We then told tower we would need to go missed approach since we weren't inside the FAF. Tower did not respond so we repeated our intentions to tower and awaited their response. The flight conditions at this point were very unique -- VFR over most of the peninsula, except for dense fog flowing through the gap north of sfo. In fact, we could see the threshold lights for runway 28R. Finally, tower called the RVR at 1200 ft and cleared us to land. We continued the approach for an uneventful landing. In hindsight, we should've executed the published missed approach procedure when tower called the RVR at 1000 ft without hesitation. 3 factors which led us to hesitate executing the missed approach: 1) on the previous approach, we were given a heading and altitude to discontinue the approach. I assumed tower would do the same. I believe tower was waiting for the RVR to go up to respond to us -- which he did. 2) we were in VMC with the end of the runway in sight. 3) we were essentially on the missed approach path already, we just hadn't 'cleaned up' or pushed the 'go around' button. Lesson learned: don't assume or wait for tower to give missed approach instructions or a new RVR report. If WX goes below minimums, outside the FAF, execute the published missed approach procedure unless told otherwise.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 HIGH MINIMUMS FLC ON SECOND CAT II APCH DELAYED REACTION FOR REQUIRED MISSED APCH THEN LANDED WITH 1200 FT RVR AT SFO.

Narrative: UPON ARR INTO SFO AREA, BAY APCH ADVISED US SFO HAD TOUCHDOWN VISUAL OF 1200 FT. I'M A NEWLY QUALIFIED CAPT AND HAVE A HIGH MINIMUM RESTR OF CAT II MINIMUMS. THEREFORE, WE RECEIVED VECTORS AND CLRNC TO START THE APCH TO ILS RWY 28R (AUTOLAND) SINCE WE HAD CAT II MINIMUMS. WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE APCH WHEN THE CTLR SAID THE RVR WAS NOW 800 FT, SO WE TOLD HIM WE NEEDED TO GO MISSED APCH. HE THEN GAVE US A HDG AND ALT AWAY FROM THE APCH COURSE, AND WE COMPLIED. AFTER EXTENSIVE VECTORING AND WAITING FOR THE WX TO IMPROVE, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH AGAIN AFTER THE RVR IMPROVED TO 1200 FT. APCH CTLR THEN SWITCHED US TO TWR, WHO THEN ADVISED THE ACFT AHEAD OF US THAT THE RVR WAS NOW 1000 FT. WE THEN TOLD TWR WE WOULD NEED TO GO MISSED APCH SINCE WE WEREN'T INSIDE THE FAF. TWR DID NOT RESPOND SO WE REPEATED OUR INTENTIONS TO TWR AND AWAITED THEIR RESPONSE. THE FLT CONDITIONS AT THIS POINT WERE VERY UNIQUE -- VFR OVER MOST OF THE PENINSULA, EXCEPT FOR DENSE FOG FLOWING THROUGH THE GAP N OF SFO. IN FACT, WE COULD SEE THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS FOR RWY 28R. FINALLY, TWR CALLED THE RVR AT 1200 FT AND CLRED US TO LAND. WE CONTINUED THE APCH FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. IN HINDSIGHT, WE SHOULD'VE EXECUTED THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH PROC WHEN TWR CALLED THE RVR AT 1000 FT WITHOUT HESITATION. 3 FACTORS WHICH LED US TO HESITATE EXECUTING THE MISSED APCH: 1) ON THE PREVIOUS APCH, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG AND ALT TO DISCONTINUE THE APCH. I ASSUMED TWR WOULD DO THE SAME. I BELIEVE TWR WAS WAITING FOR THE RVR TO GO UP TO RESPOND TO US -- WHICH HE DID. 2) WE WERE IN VMC WITH THE END OF THE RWY IN SIGHT. 3) WE WERE ESSENTIALLY ON THE MISSED APCH PATH ALREADY, WE JUST HADN'T 'CLEANED UP' OR PUSHED THE 'GAR' BUTTON. LESSON LEARNED: DON'T ASSUME OR WAIT FOR TWR TO GIVE MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS OR A NEW RVR RPT. IF WX GOES BELOW MINIMUMS, OUTSIDE THE FAF, EXECUTE THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH PROC UNLESS TOLD OTHERWISE.

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.