Narrative:

After taxiing for takeoff at mgm runway 9, the captain told me to call for takeoff clearance. I called the tower and was advised that the RVR was 1200. The captain told me to tell the tower again that we were ready for takeoff. I told the captain that we needed 1600 or 1/4 visibility before we could take off and showed him the takeoff data plate which indicated the takeoff minimums for mgm. The captain told me to tell the tower that we were ready for takeoff. The tower cleared us for takeoff and reminded us that the RVR for runway 9 was 1200. We took off and flew to atl. After departure the captain stated to me that our operations manual allowed us to use a 1200 RVR regardless of what the takeoff minimum was. I reminded the captain that we had to meet certain criteria before we could reduce the takeoff minimums, which we had not met in mgm. The captain told me not to worry about it, that he'd done it before and no one would say anything. We should not have departed nor should the tower have issued a takeoff clearance unless the captain satisfied the tower that we were allowed to reduce the takeoff minima. I should have refused to take off, at the risk of losing my job. Fortunately, nothing went wrong on takeoff, this time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: callback made to advise first officer to take this to his professional standards committee. Reporter says this avenue is not available to him. He stated he has resolved never to allow a PIC to intimidate him again and will get off the flight before his is party to another deliberate FAA violation. Incident was observed by another air carrier waiting at the blocks for visibility to improve and after takeoff both the ATC tower local controller and this other flight crew commented on the conditions. Reporter thinks FAA will investigate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT TKOF WITH VISIBILITY REPORTED BELOW ARPT WX MINIMUMS FOR TKOF.

Narrative: AFTER TAXIING FOR TKOF AT MGM RWY 9, THE CAPT TOLD ME TO CALL FOR TKOF CLRNC. I CALLED THE TWR AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE RVR WAS 1200. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO TELL THE TWR AGAIN THAT WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE NEEDED 1600 OR 1/4 VISIBILITY BEFORE WE COULD TAKE OFF AND SHOWED HIM THE TKOF DATA PLATE WHICH INDICATED THE TKOF MINIMUMS FOR MGM. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO TELL THE TWR THAT WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND REMINDED US THAT THE RVR FOR RWY 9 WAS 1200. WE TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO ATL. AFTER DEP THE CAPT STATED TO ME THAT OUR OPS MANUAL ALLOWED US TO USE A 1200 RVR REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE TKOF MINIMUM WAS. I REMINDED THE CAPT THAT WE HAD TO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA BEFORE WE COULD REDUCE THE TKOF MINIMUMS, WHICH WE HAD NOT MET IN MGM. THE CAPT TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, THAT HE'D DONE IT BEFORE AND NO ONE WOULD SAY ANYTHING. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPARTED NOR SHOULD THE TWR HAVE ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC UNLESS THE CAPT SATISFIED THE TWR THAT WE WERE ALLOWED TO REDUCE THE TKOF MINIMA. I SHOULD HAVE REFUSED TO TAKE OFF, AT THE RISK OF LOSING MY JOB. FORTUNATELY, NOTHING WENT WRONG ON TKOF, THIS TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLBACK MADE TO ADVISE F/O TO TAKE THIS TO HIS PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE. RPTR SAYS THIS AVENUE IS NOT AVAILABLE TO HIM. HE STATED HE HAS RESOLVED NEVER TO ALLOW A PIC TO INTIMIDATE HIM AGAIN AND WILL GET OFF THE FLT BEFORE HIS IS PARTY TO ANOTHER DELIBERATE FAA VIOLATION. INCIDENT WAS OBSERVED BY ANOTHER ACR WAITING AT THE BLOCKS FOR VISIBILITY TO IMPROVE AND AFTER TKOF BOTH THE ATC TWR LCL CTLR AND THIS OTHER FLT CREW COMMENTED ON THE CONDITIONS. RPTR THINKS FAA WILL INVESTIGATE.

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.