Originally Posted by
MuseumDriver
Wildcat...
Thats been a gray area for some time. "Inflight visibility" and RVR are two different values. For instance, the operations manual for my airline (approved by the FAA) allows for a landing if the runway environment is in sight and the "inflight visibility" is adequate. I have seen at a previous airline someone violated for landing with the reported RVR being lower than 1800.
§ 91.175 Takeoff and landing under IFR.
(a) Instrument approaches to civil airports. Unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator, when an instrument letdown to a civil airport is necessary, each person operating an aircraft, except a military aircraft of the United States, shall use a standard instrument approach procedure prescribed for the airport in part 97 of this chapter.
(b) Authorized DH or MDA. For the purpose of this section, when the approach procedure being used provides for and requires the use of a DH or MDA, the authorized DH or MDA is the highest of the following:
(1) The DH or MDA prescribed by the approach procedure.
(2) The DH or MDA prescribed for the pilot in command.
(3) The DH or MDA for which the aircraft is equipped.
(c) Operation below DH or MDA. Except as provided in paragraph (l) of this section, where a DH or MDA is applicable, no pilot may operate an aircraft, except a military aircraft of the United States, at any airport below the authorized MDA or continue an approach below the authorized DH unless—
(1) The aircraft is continuously in a position from which a descent to a landing on the intended runway can be made at a normal rate of descent using normal maneuvers, and for operations conducted under part 121 or part 135 unless that descent rate will allow touchdown to occur within the touchdown zone of the runway of intended landing;
(2) The flight visibility is not less than the visibility prescribed in the standard instrument approach being used; and
I haven’t seen a regulation or ops spec that supersedes this FAR. If your ops spec does not specifically say that in flight visibility is not required for landing, then this regulation still applies.
If you land and the reported visibility is below the minimums for the approach you open yourself up to the possibility of enforcement action. Remember, you are not innocent until proven guilty with the FAA. You will have to find proof that the in flight visibility was equal to or greater than the approach minimums. I don’t know about you….but I don’t carry an impartial weather observer with me on every flight.
I guess my point is, if you do land with the reported visibility below minimums you are playing Russian Roulette with your career. I would be willing to bet that 9,999 out of 10,000 landings below minimums are not investigated because they don’t result in an accident or incident. If yours does, well you have a tough row to hoe.