Narrative:

I departed sea for seoul, korea. I was copilot in a 3 man crew of a USA widebody transport. Scheduled flight time was xx:25, actual xx:04. It was a full regular scheduled passenger flight. On the way, we checked our forcast and the latest sel WX, over japan, and again from the sel ATIS. All this indicated that we should expect scattered to broken cloud layers above 1000' AGL, and at least 3 kilometers (2 mi) visibility, probably 7 KM visibility. On the ILS approach to runway 14R, we were in IMC to minimums, over the inner marker, with the captain just starting to apply go around thrust when I spotted and reported the approach lights. About 1/2 way between the marker and the runway lights the visibility was well less than 1000 meters , the (solid) ceiling at 200' AGL (241' MSL). A company flight 15 mins ahead of us experienced and reported the same conditions. But we were not informed by tower. We also reported this (WX) but noted no change in tower reports or ATIS. This is only one of many times I have seen ATC in seoul lie about the WX. I believe they do so to 'help' xx airlines. As a former xx airlines pilot, I know that xx actively encourages their pilots to ignore ('bust') minimums. They award 'ataboys' for 0/0 lndgs, and threaten crews who divert. In so doing, xx makes (mostly)successful apches and lndgs in below minimums WX while more responsible airlines go around and divert. Thus, xx 'saves face' and gives the false appearance of being a more reliable airline. I am certain that foreign (non xx ) carriers will be seriously endangered until american or british air traffic controllers are allowed to assist in seoul tower. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter worked for the foreign airline for 5 months when his USA airline was on strike. Observed many apches and lndgs below WX minimums, when WX was reported above minimums. Reporter feels the motivation to never miss an approach or divert regardless of WX, is to never admit fallability, never to lose face. This carries through the entire airline, if the flight crew cannot land because of WX. The WX forecaster loses face because his forecast was admittedly erroneous. The airline loses face because a flight diverted. The flight crew has caused the loss of face so flcs will attempt and approach regardless of WX to avoid the censorship and loss of face. Reporter categorically stated the airline saves much money by not carrying proper fuel reserves and shortcuts and omissions on maintenance programs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER ALLEGES WX FORECASTS AND CURRENT REPORTS ERRONEOUS AT SEL, FO.

Narrative: I DEPARTED SEA FOR SEOUL, KOREA. I WAS COPLT IN A 3 MAN CREW OF A USA WDB. SCHEDULED FLT TIME WAS XX:25, ACTUAL XX:04. IT WAS A FULL REGULAR SCHEDULED PAX FLT. ON THE WAY, WE CHKED OUR FORCAST AND THE LATEST SEL WX, OVER JAPAN, AND AGAIN FROM THE SEL ATIS. ALL THIS INDICATED THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUD LAYERS ABOVE 1000' AGL, AND AT LEAST 3 KILOMETERS (2 MI) VISIBILITY, PROBABLY 7 KM VISIBILITY. ON THE ILS APCH TO RWY 14R, WE WERE IN IMC TO MINIMUMS, OVER THE INNER MARKER, WITH THE CAPT JUST STARTING TO APPLY GO AROUND THRUST WHEN I SPOTTED AND RPTED THE APCH LIGHTS. ABOUT 1/2 WAY BTWN THE MARKER AND THE RWY LIGHTS THE VISIBILITY WAS WELL LESS THAN 1000 METERS , THE (SOLID) CEILING AT 200' AGL (241' MSL). A COMPANY FLT 15 MINS AHEAD OF US EXPERIENCED AND RPTED THE SAME CONDITIONS. BUT WE WERE NOT INFORMED BY TWR. WE ALSO RPTED THIS (WX) BUT NOTED NO CHANGE IN TWR RPTS OR ATIS. THIS IS ONLY ONE OF MANY TIMES I HAVE SEEN ATC IN SEOUL LIE ABOUT THE WX. I BELIEVE THEY DO SO TO 'HELP' XX AIRLINES. AS A FORMER XX AIRLINES PLT, I KNOW THAT XX ACTIVELY ENCOURAGES THEIR PLTS TO IGNORE ('BUST') MINIMUMS. THEY AWARD 'ATABOYS' FOR 0/0 LNDGS, AND THREATEN CREWS WHO DIVERT. IN SO DOING, XX MAKES (MOSTLY)SUCCESSFUL APCHES AND LNDGS IN BELOW MINIMUMS WX WHILE MORE RESPONSIBLE AIRLINES GO AROUND AND DIVERT. THUS, XX 'SAVES FACE' AND GIVES THE FALSE APPEARANCE OF BEING A MORE RELIABLE AIRLINE. I AM CERTAIN THAT FOREIGN (NON XX ) CARRIERS WILL BE SERIOUSLY ENDANGERED UNTIL AMERICAN OR BRITISH AIR TFC CTLRS ARE ALLOWED TO ASSIST IN SEOUL TWR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR WORKED FOR THE FOREIGN AIRLINE FOR 5 MONTHS WHEN HIS USA AIRLINE WAS ON STRIKE. OBSERVED MANY APCHES AND LNDGS BELOW WX MINIMUMS, WHEN WX WAS RPTED ABOVE MINIMUMS. RPTR FEELS THE MOTIVATION TO NEVER MISS AN APCH OR DIVERT REGARDLESS OF WX, IS TO NEVER ADMIT FALLABILITY, NEVER TO LOSE FACE. THIS CARRIES THROUGH THE ENTIRE AIRLINE, IF THE FLC CANNOT LAND BECAUSE OF WX. THE WX FORECASTER LOSES FACE BECAUSE HIS FORECAST WAS ADMITTEDLY ERRONEOUS. THE AIRLINE LOSES FACE BECAUSE A FLT DIVERTED. THE FLC HAS CAUSED THE LOSS OF FACE SO FLCS WILL ATTEMPT AND APCH REGARDLESS OF WX TO AVOID THE CENSORSHIP AND LOSS OF FACE. RPTR CATEGORICALLY STATED THE AIRLINE SAVES MUCH MONEY BY NOT CARRYING PROPER FUEL RESERVES AND SHORTCUTS AND OMISSIONS ON MAINT PROGRAMS.

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.