Narrative:

Upon arrival at pwm. The latest pwm WX was below approach minimums for runway 11. We requested and received permission from bos center to hold at orham NDB at 6000' and 210 KTS with 20 mi legs. When the pwm WX improved to above minimums we requested approach clearance and descent to 1800'. Bos center cleared us to 1800' and cleared us for the approach. In a few mins bos asked us if we accepted pilot clearance of obstacles and we replied yes. It was then that I realized we were outside kiffi and near parso which had an en route MEA of 2600'. Another quick check of the charts indicate we had no problems in our immediate area. We had been distraction during the flight/approach because it was our first flight to pwm, the pwm tower was closed, the last WX sequence was 40-60 mins old. We were having to coordination with bos center and bangor FSS about how we cold get current pwm WX, as it was apparent the WX was improving. Bos initially said the old WX was the last we could get before 0600, but that the tower operator had said as she closed that runway 11 RVR was 6000 plus. We could not begin an approach with that. Bangor FSS finally said that there was a WX service observer at minimums for runway 11. The FMS was another problem, once the ILS to runway 11 was put into the computer, the computer would not accept a preapch inbound hold at orham because it was already in the computer as the missed approach holding fix. We had never encountered this problem before. Lessons learned. Uncontrolled airports at night in minimum WX require more than the normal preparation and attention. We thought we were prepared before takeoff and we still made mistakes. Current WX. I had called the company flight control before departure to ask those WX questions and they were not really sure. No one seemed to know there was a WX observer at the airport except bangor and they initially kept it a secret. I am a pilot instrument and had been in meetings from am to xx before beginning the flight duty period at xx +45. This was dumb and I will never do it again, as I do believe fatigue was a distracting influence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR REQUESTS HOL TO WAIT FOR IMPROVED WX. DESCENDS BELOW MSA.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT PWM. THE LATEST PWM WX WAS BELOW APCH MINIMUMS FOR RWY 11. WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM BOS CTR TO HOLD AT ORHAM NDB AT 6000' AND 210 KTS WITH 20 MI LEGS. WHEN THE PWM WX IMPROVED TO ABOVE MINIMUMS WE REQUESTED APCH CLRNC AND DSNT TO 1800'. BOS CTR CLRED US TO 1800' AND CLRED US FOR THE APCH. IN A FEW MINS BOS ASKED US IF WE ACCEPTED PLT CLRNC OF OBSTACLES AND WE REPLIED YES. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED WE WERE OUTSIDE KIFFI AND NEAR PARSO WHICH HAD AN ENRTE MEA OF 2600'. ANOTHER QUICK CHK OF THE CHARTS INDICATE WE HAD NO PROBS IN OUR IMMEDIATE AREA. WE HAD BEEN DISTR DURING THE FLT/APCH BECAUSE IT WAS OUR FIRST FLT TO PWM, THE PWM TWR WAS CLOSED, THE LAST WX SEQUENCE WAS 40-60 MINS OLD. WE WERE HAVING TO COORD WITH BOS CTR AND BANGOR FSS ABOUT HOW WE COLD GET CURRENT PWM WX, AS IT WAS APPARENT THE WX WAS IMPROVING. BOS INITIALLY SAID THE OLD WX WAS THE LAST WE COULD GET BEFORE 0600, BUT THAT THE TWR OPERATOR HAD SAID AS SHE CLOSED THAT RWY 11 RVR WAS 6000 PLUS. WE COULD NOT BEGIN AN APCH WITH THAT. BANGOR FSS FINALLY SAID THAT THERE WAS A WX SVC OBSERVER AT MINIMUMS FOR RWY 11. THE FMS WAS ANOTHER PROB, ONCE THE ILS TO RWY 11 WAS PUT INTO THE COMPUTER, THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT ACCEPT A PREAPCH INBND HOLD AT ORHAM BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY IN THE COMPUTER AS THE MISSED APCH HOLDING FIX. WE HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS PROB BEFORE. LESSONS LEARNED. UNCTLED ARPTS AT NIGHT IN MINIMUM WX REQUIRE MORE THAN THE NORMAL PREPARATION AND ATTN. WE THOUGHT WE WERE PREPARED BEFORE TKOF AND WE STILL MADE MISTAKES. CURRENT WX. I HAD CALLED THE COMPANY FLT CTL BEFORE DEP TO ASK THOSE WX QUESTIONS AND THEY WERE NOT REALLY SURE. NO ONE SEEMED TO KNOW THERE WAS A WX OBSERVER AT THE ARPT EXCEPT BANGOR AND THEY INITIALLY KEPT IT A SECRET. I AM A PLT INSTR AND HAD BEEN IN MEETINGS FROM AM TO XX BEFORE BEGINNING THE FLT DUTY PERIOD AT XX +45. THIS WAS DUMB AND I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN, AS I DO BELIEVE FATIGUE WAS A DISTRACTING INFLUENCE.

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.