Narrative:

On an air ambulance flight to ZZZ; while in contact with center; I attempted to listen to ZZZ ATIS. No conditions were being transmitted. Upon handoff from center to approach; I was asked if I had the ATIS. I responded 'negative ATIS.' the controller responded that ZZZ was reporting 1/4 mi in fog. I was 35-40 mi from ZZZ at the time and had ZZZ VASI to runway X in sight; and could see no fog. I called company medical dispatch (located at ZZZ) on #2 communication; asked them to 'look out the window' to see if there was fog. They reported 'a little fog; but visibility ok.' I then called ZZZ tower and asked what they were seeing. The controller said that FSS was calling it 1/4 mi; but he said he could see runway and taxiway lights; lights downtown; etc. I then asked approach to route me over ZZZ so I could look for myself; which they did. I reported that I could see no fog anywhere in the area. Approach said they could not descend me below 2500 ft on an IFR flight plan and asked if I wanted to cancel IFR. I stated that I wasn't observing any fog and was in VFR conditions. I said yes. Approach handed me off to ZZZ tower; and after checking on; the controller again said FSS was reporting 1/4 mi. I told him I was seeing absolutely no fog anywhere and would continue for the runway. It was a completely normal approach to landing. Although I did encounter some light fog in the flare; I never lost sight of the runway edge lights or REIL's at any time. After shutting down and unloading the patient into the ground ambulance; I asked the medical team to look at the conditions on the field. They stated they could clearly see runway and taxiway lights; lights from the FBO on the other side of the field; lights on ZZZ tower and street lights on streets adjacent to the field. In retrospect; even though I could clearly see all relevant runway lights; with FSS reporting 1/4 mi; I should have diverted. I was feeling some pressure to complete the transport as planned since the patient was on a ventilator. By diverting and waiting for the ground ambulance; the ventilator would have to run on battery power for 15-20 mins. I felt the extra time could jeopardize patient safety. At no time did I feel I jeopardized patient or crew safety by landing at ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIR AMBULANCE PLT COMPLETED A VFR APCH TO A RPTED ONE QUARTER MI VISIBILITY. RPTR CLAIMS THAT ACTUAL VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 3 MI.

Narrative: ON AN AIR AMBULANCE FLT TO ZZZ; WHILE IN CONTACT WITH CTR; I ATTEMPTED TO LISTEN TO ZZZ ATIS. NO CONDITIONS WERE BEING XMITTED. UPON HDOF FROM CTR TO APCH; I WAS ASKED IF I HAD THE ATIS. I RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE ATIS.' THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT ZZZ WAS RPTING 1/4 MI IN FOG. I WAS 35-40 MI FROM ZZZ AT THE TIME AND HAD ZZZ VASI TO RWY X IN SIGHT; AND COULD SEE NO FOG. I CALLED COMPANY MEDICAL DISPATCH (LOCATED AT ZZZ) ON #2 COM; ASKED THEM TO 'LOOK OUT THE WINDOW' TO SEE IF THERE WAS FOG. THEY RPTED 'A LITTLE FOG; BUT VISIBILITY OK.' I THEN CALLED ZZZ TWR AND ASKED WHAT THEY WERE SEEING. THE CTLR SAID THAT FSS WAS CALLING IT 1/4 MI; BUT HE SAID HE COULD SEE RWY AND TXWY LIGHTS; LIGHTS DOWNTOWN; ETC. I THEN ASKED APCH TO RTE ME OVER ZZZ SO I COULD LOOK FOR MYSELF; WHICH THEY DID. I RPTED THAT I COULD SEE NO FOG ANYWHERE IN THE AREA. APCH SAID THEY COULD NOT DSND ME BELOW 2500 FT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO CANCEL IFR. I STATED THAT I WASN'T OBSERVING ANY FOG AND WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS. I SAID YES. APCH HANDED ME OFF TO ZZZ TWR; AND AFTER CHKING ON; THE CTLR AGAIN SAID FSS WAS RPTING 1/4 MI. I TOLD HIM I WAS SEEING ABSOLUTELY NO FOG ANYWHERE AND WOULD CONTINUE FOR THE RWY. IT WAS A COMPLETELY NORMAL APCH TO LNDG. ALTHOUGH I DID ENCOUNTER SOME LIGHT FOG IN THE FLARE; I NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS OR REIL'S AT ANY TIME. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN AND UNLOADING THE PATIENT INTO THE GND AMBULANCE; I ASKED THE MEDICAL TEAM TO LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS ON THE FIELD. THEY STATED THEY COULD CLRLY SEE RWY AND TXWY LIGHTS; LIGHTS FROM THE FBO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD; LIGHTS ON ZZZ TWR AND STREET LIGHTS ON STREETS ADJACENT TO THE FIELD. IN RETROSPECT; EVEN THOUGH I COULD CLRLY SEE ALL RELEVANT RWY LIGHTS; WITH FSS RPTING 1/4 MI; I SHOULD HAVE DIVERTED. I WAS FEELING SOME PRESSURE TO COMPLETE THE TRANSPORT AS PLANNED SINCE THE PATIENT WAS ON A VENTILATOR. BY DIVERTING AND WAITING FOR THE GND AMBULANCE; THE VENTILATOR WOULD HAVE TO RUN ON BATTERY PWR FOR 15-20 MINS. I FELT THE EXTRA TIME COULD JEOPARDIZE PATIENT SAFETY. AT NO TIME DID I FEEL I JEOPARDIZED PATIENT OR CREW SAFETY BY LNDG AT ZZZ.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.