Air carrier mdt PIC complains of tower controller calling out RVR when inside final approach fix. Ci...

Attributes
ACN	135346
Time
Date	199001
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dhn
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dhn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 285 flight time total : 2480
ASRS Report	135346
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Being vectored for the ILS 31 approach to dothan municipal airport, approach control notified crew of visibility 2 1/2 with fog. As we turned for a 30 degree localizer intercept report was better than 6000' RVR and cleared to maintain 2000', cleared for ILS 31 approach, then handed over to tower control. Tower cleared us to land and reported RVR 2400'. At 200' we saw the approach lights followed by the runway and continued to land. At the time we saw the runway (middle marker) tower broadcast RVR 1000'. The pilot flying was in the process of flaring to land by the time the controller finished broadcasting the current visibility. We did continue the landing phase of flight and were instructed by tower to continue taxi to the ramp, that tower could not see us due to visibility at 800 RVR. This problem could be eliminated by calling RVR at outer marker and no further until missed approach is chosen or after clearing the runway. The problem encountered was the decision by crew whether or not to land even though airport is in sight, and tower is calling RVR below landing minimums.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT PIC COMPLAINS OF TWR CTLR CALLING OUT RVR WHEN INSIDE FINAL APCH FIX. CITES THIS AS A CONFUSING AND DISTRACTING PROC.

Narrative: BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS 31 APCH TO DOTHAN MUNI ARPT, APCH CTL NOTIFIED CREW OF VISIBILITY 2 1/2 WITH FOG. AS WE TURNED FOR A 30 DEG LOC INTERCEPT REPORT WAS BETTER THAN 6000' RVR AND CLRED TO MAINTAIN 2000', CLRED FOR ILS 31 APCH, THEN HANDED OVER TO TWR CTL. TWR CLRED US TO LAND AND REPORTED RVR 2400'. AT 200' WE SAW THE APCH LIGHTS FOLLOWED BY THE RWY AND CONTINUED TO LAND. AT THE TIME WE SAW THE RWY (MIDDLE MARKER) TWR BROADCAST RVR 1000'. THE PLT FLYING WAS IN THE PROCESS OF FLARING TO LAND BY THE TIME THE CTLR FINISHED BROADCASTING THE CURRENT VISIBILITY. WE DID CONTINUE THE LNDG PHASE OF FLT AND WERE INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO CONTINUE TAXI TO THE RAMP, THAT TWR COULD NOT SEE US DUE TO VISIBILITY AT 800 RVR. THIS PROBLEM COULD BE ELIMINATED BY CALLING RVR AT OUTER MARKER AND NO FURTHER UNTIL MISSED APCH IS CHOSEN OR AFTER CLEARING THE RWY. THE PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED WAS THE DECISION BY CREW WHETHER OR NOT TO LAND EVEN THOUGH ARPT IS IN SIGHT, AND TWR IS CALLING RVR BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS.

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.

Air carrier mdt PIC complains of tower controller calling out RVR when inside final approach fix. Cites this as a confusing and distracting procedure.