Landing when AWOS is calling below mins
 

What the pilot sees out the window when coming in to land overrules what an AWOS is calling right? In other words, can any action be taken against a pilot who lands at an uncontrolled airport that is calling weather below 135 mins?

How were you legal to commence the final approach segment if the AWOS was below mins? You state it was an uncontrolled field. It sounds like you meant it had no tower, but if it had AWOS and an approach, it is still controlled airspace.

approved weather sources are controlling .What was the weather in this " hypothetical "situation .??

Even if the AWOS sensors are positioned in a ditch on one end of the field and only that ditch is fogged in, the field is IFR. That is controlling.

I can think of 2 hypotheticals.

1. You arrive VFR, no qualified weather observer, the fog is just covering the weather machine but not the runway.

2. The AWOS drops below mins after you cross the final approach fix.


In either case, like the OP says, it's flight visibility vs. reported visibility.

The first, you have to make the case you had 3 miles (or 1 mile daytime in G), all the way down to landing. Not necessarily dangerous, but someone might raise their eyebrows with legal concerns.

The second, you're still legal to take a look, but if you land, you have to make the case that what you saw was at or above minimum flight visibility (ie "I could see ____ from the threshold, from which I determined I had ____ feet of flight visibility").

own nav,

VFR flight, viz is 10 but cieling is calling 300 (500 legal min). The thought on this situation is if you called up FSS and gave a quick PIREP wouldn't that cover you?

Ah, VFR. Now this question makes more sense. The relevant regulation is 135.213

"(a) Whenever a person operating an aircraft under this part is required to use a weather report or forecast, that person shall use that of the U.S. National Weather Service, a source approved by the U.S. National Weather Service, or a source approved by the Administrator. However, for operations under VFR, the pilot in command may, if such a report is not available, use weather information based on that pilot's own observations or on those of other persons competent to supply appropriate observations."

I would interpret this to mean that if the weather report is available you must use it. Perhaps you can make a legitimate argument that the AWOS is defective or broken. I have seen this in reality (AWOS reporting 1/8 mile visibility and the weather is severe clear) and in that situation I believe you would be justified to ignore it ( and perhaps make a report to the effect that the AWOS is not working). If the situation is more borderline I think you could be digging yourself into some legal trouble.

I've seen a pirep used to change a tower report, but in the case of an uncontrolled, I'm curious to hear what other pilots have to say.

I'm assuming the 300 foot layer is very local, ie you could get into the traffic pattern of a class G (1000, 500 and 2000), then below 1200 AGL use 1 mile and clear of clouds down to the runway if it's daytime.

When it comes to 135, if the approved weather says the landing visibility is below minimums, but you can clearly see the field, you cannot land. Visibility is controlling. Had that happen a few times in Wenatchee, WA.

Well interesting conversation to have on here but not one I would want to have face to face with a fed. Best option looks like to play it safe and not go in.