Narrative:

En route to rdu; the first officer copied rdu ATIS. Visibility was reported as 2 mi with runway 23R in use. The captain briefed a flaps 40 degree approach. After switching to approach control; we heard them tell another aircraft in front of us that touchdown RVR was 1200 ft but that previous aircraft were picking up the field visually and multiple aircraft had shot approachs and landed. CAT 2 and 3 approachs were not available due to reduced runway lighting. The previous aircraft accepted the approach and landed. Approach control also cleared us for the ILS runway 23R and switched us to tower. I told the first officer that I didn't understand how anyone could accept a CAT 1 approach with visibility that low even though we could see the runway at 7 mi. I relayed my concern to raleigh tower and he told me that it was not approach control's responsibility to determine legality; and they just issue approachs. I was uncomfortable with the whole situation so I elected to go around at approximately 2200 ft MSL. After an uneventful go around I xferred aircraft control to the first officer and contacted dispatch. Dispatch agreed that approachs were not legal at this point; but we had plenty of gas to hold out for higher visibility. Shortly after talking to dispatch; RVR was reported at 3500 ft. We told approach control we could accept the approach and he vectored us to an approximately 20 mi final. He eventually cleared us for the approach and said touchdown RVR was 2500 ft. We intercepted the localizer and GS at 3000 ft. Approach control switched us to tower. At this point we were about 7 mi out and I could clearly see the runway. Several other aircraft had recently shot the approach and landed with reports of good visibility from the pilots. Approach had given us a legal clearance and we were stable on GS. I was in 'go mode' in my mind. The first officer contacted raleigh tower just prior to bodly (the FAF). Tower cleared us to land and stated the current RVR. I remember tower calling 1800 ft RVR and 1200 ft RVR; but I don't recall exactly. In my mind it did not matter because I assumed us to be on the 'look-see' portion of the approach; and I had the runway clearly in sight. We landed without incident and visibility was more than adequate. In retrospect; I think tower reported the RVR to us at about 2500 ft; which was 300 ft prior to the FAF where the final approach segment begun. If tower reported the touchdown RVR at 1200 ft; then we were illegal to shoot the approach. I'm not sure if we were illegal or not; but I have learned valuable lessons from this experience. First of all; an approach decision can be viewed very much like a takeoff/abort decision; with the FAF being the same as V1. It is extremely important to be constantly aware of that point. Also; just because other aircraft are shooting approachs; that does not make it legal. Always make your own decisions. Never let your mind get locked in to landing. It's never too late to go around. Lastly; approach control should be cognizant of clearing aircraft to fly an approach when RVR is below minimums. It's setting up a pilot to make a wrong decision.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT REVIEWS LEGALITIES OF AN INST APCH CONDUCTED WITH VARYING RVR AND VISIBILITY RPTS.

Narrative: ENRTE TO RDU; THE FO COPIED RDU ATIS. VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AS 2 MI WITH RWY 23R IN USE. THE CAPT BRIEFED A FLAPS 40 DEG APCH. AFTER SWITCHING TO APCH CTL; WE HEARD THEM TELL ANOTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF US THAT TOUCHDOWN RVR WAS 1200 FT BUT THAT PREVIOUS ACFT WERE PICKING UP THE FIELD VISUALLY AND MULTIPLE ACFT HAD SHOT APCHS AND LANDED. CAT 2 AND 3 APCHS WERE NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO REDUCED RWY LIGHTING. THE PREVIOUS ACFT ACCEPTED THE APCH AND LANDED. APCH CTL ALSO CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 23R AND SWITCHED US TO TWR. I TOLD THE FO THAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW ANYONE COULD ACCEPT A CAT 1 APCH WITH VISIBILITY THAT LOW EVEN THOUGH WE COULD SEE THE RWY AT 7 MI. I RELAYED MY CONCERN TO RALEIGH TWR AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT APCH CTL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE LEGALITY; AND THEY JUST ISSUE APCHS. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE WHOLE SITUATION SO I ELECTED TO GO AROUND AT APPROX 2200 FT MSL. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL GAR I XFERRED ACFT CTL TO THE FO AND CONTACTED DISPATCH. DISPATCH AGREED THAT APCHS WERE NOT LEGAL AT THIS POINT; BUT WE HAD PLENTY OF GAS TO HOLD OUT FOR HIGHER VISIBILITY. SHORTLY AFTER TALKING TO DISPATCH; RVR WAS RPTED AT 3500 FT. WE TOLD APCH CTL WE COULD ACCEPT THE APCH AND HE VECTORED US TO AN APPROX 20 MI FINAL. HE EVENTUALLY CLRED US FOR THE APCH AND SAID TOUCHDOWN RVR WAS 2500 FT. WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC AND GS AT 3000 FT. APCH CTL SWITCHED US TO TWR. AT THIS POINT WE WERE ABOUT 7 MI OUT AND I COULD CLRLY SEE THE RWY. SEVERAL OTHER ACFT HAD RECENTLY SHOT THE APCH AND LANDED WITH RPTS OF GOOD VISIBILITY FROM THE PLTS. APCH HAD GIVEN US A LEGAL CLRNC AND WE WERE STABLE ON GS. I WAS IN 'GO MODE' IN MY MIND. THE FO CONTACTED RALEIGH TWR JUST PRIOR TO BODLY (THE FAF). TWR CLRED US TO LAND AND STATED THE CURRENT RVR. I REMEMBER TWR CALLING 1800 FT RVR AND 1200 FT RVR; BUT I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY. IN MY MIND IT DID NOT MATTER BECAUSE I ASSUMED US TO BE ON THE 'LOOK-SEE' PORTION OF THE APCH; AND I HAD THE RWY CLRLY IN SIGHT. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND VISIBILITY WAS MORE THAN ADEQUATE. IN RETROSPECT; I THINK TWR RPTED THE RVR TO US AT ABOUT 2500 FT; WHICH WAS 300 FT PRIOR TO THE FAF WHERE THE FINAL APCH SEGMENT BEGUN. IF TWR RPTED THE TOUCHDOWN RVR AT 1200 FT; THEN WE WERE ILLEGAL TO SHOOT THE APCH. I'M NOT SURE IF WE WERE ILLEGAL OR NOT; BUT I HAVE LEARNED VALUABLE LESSONS FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. FIRST OF ALL; AN APCH DECISION CAN BE VIEWED VERY MUCH LIKE A TKOF/ABORT DECISION; WITH THE FAF BEING THE SAME AS V1. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO BE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF THAT POINT. ALSO; JUST BECAUSE OTHER ACFT ARE SHOOTING APCHS; THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT LEGAL. ALWAYS MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS. NEVER LET YOUR MIND GET LOCKED IN TO LNDG. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO GO AROUND. LASTLY; APCH CTL SHOULD BE COGNIZANT OF CLRING ACFT TO FLY AN APCH WHEN RVR IS BELOW MINIMUMS. IT'S SETTING UP A PLT TO MAKE A WRONG DECISION.

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.