Narrative:

Through oversight on my part I did not see NOTAM that phl runway 9R CAT ii/III certification had been lost and that approach would be removed during future commercial chart revisions. My revisions were current and still had ILS runway 9R CAT ii/III plate. Before in range phase of flight my crew reviewed CAT ii autoland procedure and used all CAT III checklists and procedures throughout the entire approach and landing. The autoland worked out very nicely with visibility and ceiling being better at 100' than reported. Rollout may have been about as reported. On landing tower asked if we saw approach lights and questioned their light monitor. Since CAT III conditions usually don't involve sighting of approach lights during daylight, especially into the sun, I dismissed any further questions as normal conditions. It was not until the next day that I was discussing phl and other east coast WX with another pilot that I checked NOTAMS on phl and discovered my oversight. I generally check NOTAMS and physically check items as I read them. Our flight papers are usually folded accordion style along tear lines for neatness in operations and I may have skipped one fold as I reviewed the 3 or 4' of papers. In retrospect I should have reviewed NOTAMS during flight when WX did not improve. Low altitude center advised us of phl WX before handing us off to phl RAPCON. Phl approach asked us if we could make the #1 approach. We said yes. The same number is used for standard ILS and CAT ii/III approach plates. Aside from my personal oversight I believe ATIS should mention status of facs if appropriate to WX conditions, and as a backup, no approach plates should have the same identify numbers, ie, basic CAT I plate and CAT ii-III plate for same runway should be called by different terminology by ATIS and RAPCON. As a side thought, no other aircraft, to my knowledge, were on RAPCON frequency except an air carrier Y medium large transport holding for 1200' RVR.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT COMPLETED A CAT III APCH TO A NON CAT III RWY.

Narrative: THROUGH OVERSIGHT ON MY PART I DID NOT SEE NOTAM THAT PHL RWY 9R CAT II/III CERTIFICATION HAD BEEN LOST AND THAT APCH WOULD BE REMOVED DURING FUTURE COMMERCIAL CHART REVISIONS. MY REVISIONS WERE CURRENT AND STILL HAD ILS RWY 9R CAT II/III PLATE. BEFORE IN RANGE PHASE OF FLT MY CREW REVIEWED CAT II AUTOLAND PROC AND USED ALL CAT III CHKLISTS AND PROCS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE APCH AND LNDG. THE AUTOLAND WORKED OUT VERY NICELY WITH VIS AND CEILING BEING BETTER AT 100' THAN RPTED. ROLLOUT MAY HAVE BEEN ABOUT AS RPTED. ON LNDG TWR ASKED IF WE SAW APCH LIGHTS AND QUESTIONED THEIR LIGHT MONITOR. SINCE CAT III CONDITIONS USUALLY DON'T INVOLVE SIGHTING OF APCH LIGHTS DURING DAYLIGHT, ESPECIALLY INTO THE SUN, I DISMISSED ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS AS NORMAL CONDITIONS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY THAT I WAS DISCUSSING PHL AND OTHER EAST COAST WX WITH ANOTHER PLT THAT I CHKED NOTAMS ON PHL AND DISCOVERED MY OVERSIGHT. I GENERALLY CHK NOTAMS AND PHYSICALLY CHK ITEMS AS I READ THEM. OUR FLT PAPERS ARE USUALLY FOLDED ACCORDION STYLE ALONG TEAR LINES FOR NEATNESS IN OPS AND I MAY HAVE SKIPPED ONE FOLD AS I REVIEWED THE 3 OR 4' OF PAPERS. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED NOTAMS DURING FLT WHEN WX DID NOT IMPROVE. LOW ALT CENTER ADVISED US OF PHL WX BEFORE HANDING US OFF TO PHL RAPCON. PHL APCH ASKED US IF WE COULD MAKE THE #1 APCH. WE SAID YES. THE SAME NUMBER IS USED FOR STD ILS AND CAT II/III APCH PLATES. ASIDE FROM MY PERSONAL OVERSIGHT I BELIEVE ATIS SHOULD MENTION STATUS OF FACS IF APPROPRIATE TO WX CONDITIONS, AND AS A BACKUP, NO APCH PLATES SHOULD HAVE THE SAME IDENT NUMBERS, IE, BASIC CAT I PLATE AND CAT II-III PLATE FOR SAME RWY SHOULD BE CALLED BY DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY BY ATIS AND RAPCON. AS A SIDE THOUGHT, NO OTHER ACFT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WERE ON RAPCON FREQ EXCEPT AN ACR Y MLG HOLDING FOR 1200' RVR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.