Narrative:

Flight was dispatched to roc, and then to burlington, vt. Roc WX was forecasted to be 1 mi. Upon initiating descent into roc, ZOB advised that roc RVR was reported to be 1600'. They inquired what RVR was necessary for our approach. We consulted our chart for the CAT ii approach to runway 4 and found it to be 1200'. We continued the descent and were handed off to roc approach. They advised RVR of 1400-1600' and issued vectors for the ILS, runway 4. We stated our request for the ILS 4 and completed the approach with absolutely nothing eventful to report. We congratulated ourselves for doing our job so well, and continued the flight to btv, where we terminated. That night we were scheduled to return to memphis via roc. When we checked the WX and NOTAMS for roc, we noted 'ILS runway 4 CAT ii na.' evidently we had completely missed the NOTAM earlier that day, but had in fact completed a CAT ii procedure and approach. As is normal, ATC had not advised us of the NOTAM, or of the CAT ii status. Certainly, this was our error, but I feel I got lots of help. It seems there are so many NOTAMS and issuers of NOTAMS, that it is increasingly difficult to keep up chart and terminal NOTAMS, fdc NOTAMS, FSS NOTAMS, ATIS NOTAMS--all kept in different location that can come up during various phases of flight. Certainly I would not have conducted the CAT ii approach if I had known the procedure was notamed out. This information I feel could have been passed along by ATC, approach, or ATIS, in light of the current WX. This aspect of flight preparation has no checks and balances. Flight control (dispatch) should have notified me that the airport was below minimums, but did not. This would have been a cue that I had missed the NOTAM. In short, it is my error, but it seems I was led down the proverbial primrose path. My point: if NOTAMS are safety of flight, why be so secretive about them. They should be centralized, and continually (ATIS) publicized for any given airport or location.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LGT MADE APCH AND LNDG AT ROC WITH RVR 1400'. CAT II ILS RWY 4 NOTAMED NOT AVAILABLE.

Narrative: FLT WAS DISPATCHED TO ROC, AND THEN TO BURLINGTON, VT. ROC WX WAS FORECASTED TO BE 1 MI. UPON INITIATING DSCNT INTO ROC, ZOB ADVISED THAT ROC RVR WAS RPTED TO BE 1600'. THEY INQUIRED WHAT RVR WAS NECESSARY FOR OUR APCH. WE CONSULTED OUR CHART FOR THE CAT II APCH TO RWY 4 AND FOUND IT TO BE 1200'. WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT AND WERE HANDED OFF TO ROC APCH. THEY ADVISED RVR OF 1400-1600' AND ISSUED VECTORS FOR THE ILS, RWY 4. WE STATED OUR REQUEST FOR THE ILS 4 AND COMPLETED THE APCH WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING EVENTFUL TO RPT. WE CONGRATULATED OURSELVES FOR DOING OUR JOB SO WELL, AND CONTINUED THE FLT TO BTV, WHERE WE TERMINATED. THAT NIGHT WE WERE SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO MEMPHIS VIA ROC. WHEN WE CHKED THE WX AND NOTAMS FOR ROC, WE NOTED 'ILS RWY 4 CAT II NA.' EVIDENTLY WE HAD COMPLETELY MISSED THE NOTAM EARLIER THAT DAY, BUT HAD IN FACT COMPLETED A CAT II PROC AND APCH. AS IS NORMAL, ATC HAD NOT ADVISED US OF THE NOTAM, OR OF THE CAT II STATUS. CERTAINLY, THIS WAS OUR ERROR, BUT I FEEL I GOT LOTS OF HELP. IT SEEMS THERE ARE SO MANY NOTAMS AND ISSUERS OF NOTAMS, THAT IT IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO KEEP UP CHART AND TERMINAL NOTAMS, FDC NOTAMS, FSS NOTAMS, ATIS NOTAMS--ALL KEPT IN DIFFERENT LOCATION THAT CAN COME UP DURING VARIOUS PHASES OF FLT. CERTAINLY I WOULD NOT HAVE CONDUCTED THE CAT II APCH IF I HAD KNOWN THE PROC WAS NOTAMED OUT. THIS INFO I FEEL COULD HAVE BEEN PASSED ALONG BY ATC, APCH, OR ATIS, IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT WX. THIS ASPECT OF FLT PREPARATION HAS NO CHKS AND BALANCES. FLT CTL (DISPATCH) SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED ME THAT THE ARPT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS, BUT DID NOT. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A CUE THAT I HAD MISSED THE NOTAM. IN SHORT, IT IS MY ERROR, BUT IT SEEMS I WAS LED DOWN THE PROVERBIAL PRIMROSE PATH. MY POINT: IF NOTAMS ARE SAFETY OF FLT, WHY BE SO SECRETIVE ABOUT THEM. THEY SHOULD BE CENTRALIZED, AND CONTINUALLY (ATIS) PUBLICIZED FOR ANY GIVEN ARPT OR LOCATION.

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.