Narrative:

Flight from pt lay, ak to brw, on scheduled part 135 flight. 75 mi from brw, called brw FSS for their WX. FSS said brw is 1/2-mi in fog. I advised I would continue (in hopes it would improve to 3/4 mi, which is minimum required). At approximately 30 mi from brw at 5500', I could see the city of barrow clearly and also see the runway lights clearly. Air carrier Y cargo flying their medium large transport was cleared for the approach, and the pilot reported seeing barrow clearly from 30 mi out. FSS called me and said he could see the aircraft the entire time during the approach. This seemed strange since earlier he reported 1/2 mi. Also, at the 30 mi point, air carrier Y gave a PIREP as clear + 30 mi, and runway in sight the entire time. For practice I filed with anchorage center for the ILS DME runway 6 at barrow. FSS called me and said the visibility appears to be improving, and I agreed since I couldn't see any fog anywhere and air carrier Y cargo also reported no loss of visibility during their approach. The trend seemed to be improvement and my option, if not to land at brw, was about about 50 mi from brw. Fuel reserves were still legal, but at -25 degrees F I would need to plug the aircraft in to keep it warm and there are no plug-INS available. I shot the approach at barrow, all the time having the runway in sight and no visibility restriction. After landing and taxiing in, I talked to FSS again and gave him a PIREP for visibility during approach. I said it was at least 10 mi visibility. He said he was showing 1/2 mi. I don't know where he saw the 1/2 mi. There is a possibility that I landed after the approach with less than required visibility. Passenger thought it was strange I was shooting the approach instead of just making the normal base leg entry and landing because the WX and visibility were excellent. I believe what caused the possible conflict in WX was FSS being unclear on the actual WX report. It confused both air carrier Y and myself. Also RVR used on the runway in use would have cleared up the problem. I believe runway 6 at barrow has it, but during this approach it wasn't given.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT APCH LNDG IN WX REPORTED BELOW ARPT MINIMUMS FOR LNDG.

Narrative: FLT FROM PT LAY, AK TO BRW, ON SCHEDULED PART 135 FLT. 75 MI FROM BRW, CALLED BRW FSS FOR THEIR WX. FSS SAID BRW IS 1/2-MI IN FOG. I ADVISED I WOULD CONTINUE (IN HOPES IT WOULD IMPROVE TO 3/4 MI, WHICH IS MINIMUM REQUIRED). AT APPROX 30 MI FROM BRW AT 5500', I COULD SEE THE CITY OF BARROW CLEARLY AND ALSO SEE THE RWY LIGHTS CLEARLY. ACR Y CARGO FLYING THEIR MLG WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH, AND THE PLT RPTED SEEING BARROW CLEARLY FROM 30 MI OUT. FSS CALLED ME AND SAID HE COULD SEE THE ACFT THE ENTIRE TIME DURING THE APCH. THIS SEEMED STRANGE SINCE EARLIER HE RPTED 1/2 MI. ALSO, AT THE 30 MI POINT, ACR Y GAVE A PIREP AS CLR + 30 MI, AND RWY IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE TIME. FOR PRACTICE I FILED WITH ANCHORAGE CENTER FOR THE ILS DME RWY 6 AT BARROW. FSS CALLED ME AND SAID THE VISIBILITY APPEARS TO BE IMPROVING, AND I AGREED SINCE I COULDN'T SEE ANY FOG ANYWHERE AND ACR Y CARGO ALSO RPTED NO LOSS OF VISIBILITY DURING THEIR APCH. THE TREND SEEMED TO BE IMPROVEMENT AND MY OPTION, IF NOT TO LAND AT BRW, WAS ABOUT ABOUT 50 MI FROM BRW. FUEL RESERVES WERE STILL LEGAL, BUT AT -25 DEGS F I WOULD NEED TO PLUG THE ACFT IN TO KEEP IT WARM AND THERE ARE NO PLUG-INS AVAILABLE. I SHOT THE APCH AT BARROW, ALL THE TIME HAVING THE RWY IN SIGHT AND NO VISIBILITY RESTRICTION. AFTER LNDG AND TAXIING IN, I TALKED TO FSS AGAIN AND GAVE HIM A PIREP FOR VISIBILITY DURING APCH. I SAID IT WAS AT LEAST 10 MI VISIBILITY. HE SAID HE WAS SHOWING 1/2 MI. I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE SAW THE 1/2 MI. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT I LANDED AFTER THE APCH WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED VISIBILITY. PAX THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE I WAS SHOOTING THE APCH INSTEAD OF JUST MAKING THE NORMAL BASE LEG ENTRY AND LNDG BECAUSE THE WX AND VISIBILITY WERE EXCELLENT. I BELIEVE WHAT CAUSED THE POSSIBLE CONFLICT IN WX WAS FSS BEING UNCLEAR ON THE ACTUAL WX RPT. IT CONFUSED BOTH ACR Y AND MYSELF. ALSO RVR USED ON THE RWY IN USE WOULD HAVE CLRED UP THE PROB. I BELIEVE RWY 6 AT BARROW HAS IT, BUT DURING THIS APCH IT WASN'T GIVEN.

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