Narrative:

Visual approach cleared for with airport in sight. We had the ILS to runway 7 tuned and idented for a backup to the visual. At approximately 500 ft MSL we entered a fog bank for a few seconds. Before a go around was conducted we were out of the fog with the runway back in sight. The continuation of the approach and landing was uneventful. WX that evening was with calm winds, high dewpoint, and previous thunderstorms in the area. From 15 NM out we could see the airport and runway with no visual obstructions. We accepted the visual approach. As we neared the runway, the approach end (arrival area) began to fade away. (The approach is an extreme black hole with no surrounding ground lights to help visualize surrounding fog.) the aircraft entered IMC for a short duration then visual again. Once landed, I reported to approach (also tower at that time of night) that a visual would probably not work for any aircraft behind us because of the fog. He commented that he saw the cloud bank on final, but we were not given the information. 2 things should have been done differently: 1) controller should have informed us of fog bank so we could have accepted an ILS. 2) we had doubt as to remaining on a visual approach we should have either gone around or requested an ILS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-500 ENTERED A FOG BANK DURING FINAL ON A VISUAL APCH CAUSING THE FLYING CAPT TO START A MISSED APCH AND THEN CONTINUE THE APCH TO LNDG AFTER BREAKING OUT OF THE FOG WITH THE RWY IN SIGHT.

Narrative: VISUAL APCH CLRED FOR WITH ARPT IN SIGHT. WE HAD THE ILS TO RWY 7 TUNED AND IDENTED FOR A BACKUP TO THE VISUAL. AT APPROX 500 FT MSL WE ENTERED A FOG BANK FOR A FEW SECONDS. BEFORE A GAR WAS CONDUCTED WE WERE OUT OF THE FOG WITH THE RWY BACK IN SIGHT. THE CONTINUATION OF THE APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. WX THAT EVENING WAS WITH CALM WINDS, HIGH DEWPOINT, AND PREVIOUS TSTMS IN THE AREA. FROM 15 NM OUT WE COULD SEE THE ARPT AND RWY WITH NO VISUAL OBSTRUCTIONS. WE ACCEPTED THE VISUAL APCH. AS WE NEARED THE RWY, THE APCH END (ARR AREA) BEGAN TO FADE AWAY. (THE APCH IS AN EXTREME BLACK HOLE WITH NO SURROUNDING GND LIGHTS TO HELP VISUALIZE SURROUNDING FOG.) THE ACFT ENTERED IMC FOR A SHORT DURATION THEN VISUAL AGAIN. ONCE LANDED, I RPTED TO APCH (ALSO TWR AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT) THAT A VISUAL WOULD PROBABLY NOT WORK FOR ANY ACFT BEHIND US BECAUSE OF THE FOG. HE COMMENTED THAT HE SAW THE CLOUD BANK ON FINAL, BUT WE WERE NOT GIVEN THE INFO. 2 THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY: 1) CTLR SHOULD HAVE INFORMED US OF FOG BANK SO WE COULD HAVE ACCEPTED AN ILS. 2) WE HAD DOUBT AS TO REMAINING ON A VISUAL APCH WE SHOULD HAVE EITHER GONE AROUND OR REQUESTED AN ILS.

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.