Narrative:

We were proceeding direct to the VOR cleared to descend to 7000, expect the visual call the airport in sight. Captain's leg, the tower was closed. We broke out about 9000 and 10 mi from the airport. I had contacted company on radio 1 to get the wind and altimeter, company is the official WX that time of night. The person I talked to said he had to go to another location to get the WX. I then tuned radio 1 to CTAF to activate pilot controlled lighting. The airport was obscured in part by a bit of ground fog mostly to the north. The captain asked me to get a clearance for a contact approach. I requested this from sea center, he declined saying something that sounded like I need a mi. Our last WX was 250-ovc 10 32/30 0000/000. The captain then asked me to get a clearance for the ILS 26 VOR transition. I requested this and the controller said he could not issue that as manno LOM was OTS and would be required for the procedure turn from our location. Would we like vectors to the 10 DME arc or the VOR 26. The captain said 'the VOR 26' I relayed this request and we were cleared the VOR 26 cross the VOR at or above 5000. On the way to the VOR we were on a right downwind for runway 26. I could clearly see all of the runway and told the captain this. He looked out my side and said 'yeah, request the visual.' I called center and said 'we have runway 26 in sight at lws request the visual.' he answered cleared for the visual.' we turned about a 5 mi final for 26. The captain used radio 1 to step down the lights as we neared the airport. We were on a 2 mi final when I tuned radio 1 back to company to get the surface wind. Our personnel came back with a full WX report which he said was 'sky partially obscured 300 3/4 mi in fog, I called that in about 5 mins ago.' I asked for the wind, he came back with 'wind calm.' I asked the captain if he copied the wind, he came back with 'wind calm.' I asked the captain if he copied the WX? He said 'I didn't hear it.' I looked at his radio panel which was set up to hear both radios and said 'it's 3/4 of a mi.' he said 'I don't want to hear it.' I said ok and told him the winds calm. By now we were on about a 1/4 mi final configured to land. In my mind we were no longer legal for the visual but I made a quick decision that it was not a safety of flight issue as we could clearly see the runway from as far away as 5 mi, the captain was not prepared or interested in making a go around, very short final was not the time or place to be arguing the legal merits of our approach, so I called the landing checklist complete and we landed without incident. I cancelled IFR with alw flight service. Had I been the PF I might have suggested we go around and get an instrument approach clearance. Even that option seems ridiculous considering that clearly the safest thing to do in the circumstances while maybe not legal was just to land. Another issue but one I can't quite figure out, is how we were able to be cleared for the visual approach but not the contact approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CYA RPT TO COVER FLC OF COMMUTER LNDG BELOW WX MINS AT LWS.

Narrative: WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO THE VOR CLRED TO DSND TO 7000, EXPECT THE VISUAL CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT. CAPT'S LEG, THE TWR WAS CLOSED. WE BROKE OUT ABOUT 9000 AND 10 MI FROM THE ARPT. I HAD CONTACTED COMPANY ON RADIO 1 TO GET THE WIND AND ALTIMETER, COMPANY IS THE OFFICIAL WX THAT TIME OF NIGHT. THE PERSON I TALKED TO SAID HE HAD TO GO TO ANOTHER LOCATION TO GET THE WX. I THEN TUNED RADIO 1 TO CTAF TO ACTIVATE PCL. THE ARPT WAS OBSCURED IN PART BY A BIT OF GND FOG MOSTLY TO THE N. THE CAPT ASKED ME TO GET A CLRNC FOR A CONTACT APCH. I REQUESTED THIS FROM SEA CENTER, HE DECLINED SAYING SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE I NEED A MI. OUR LAST WX WAS 250-OVC 10 32/30 0000/000. THE CAPT THEN ASKED ME TO GET A CLRNC FOR THE ILS 26 VOR TRANSITION. I REQUESTED THIS AND THE CTLR SAID HE COULD NOT ISSUE THAT AS MANNO LOM WAS OTS AND WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE PROC TURN FROM OUR LOCATION. WOULD WE LIKE VECTORS TO THE 10 DME ARC OR THE VOR 26. THE CAPT SAID 'THE VOR 26' I RELAYED THIS REQUEST AND WE WERE CLRED THE VOR 26 CROSS THE VOR AT OR ABOVE 5000. ON THE WAY TO THE VOR WE WERE ON A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26. I COULD CLRLY SEE ALL OF THE RWY AND TOLD THE CAPT THIS. HE LOOKED OUT MY SIDE AND SAID 'YEAH, REQUEST THE VISUAL.' I CALLED CENTER AND SAID 'WE HAVE RWY 26 IN SIGHT AT LWS REQUEST THE VISUAL.' HE ANSWERED CLRED FOR THE VISUAL.' WE TURNED ABOUT A 5 MI FINAL FOR 26. THE CAPT USED RADIO 1 TO STEP DOWN THE LIGHTS AS WE NEARED THE ARPT. WE WERE ON A 2 MI FINAL WHEN I TUNED RADIO 1 BACK TO COMPANY TO GET THE SURFACE WIND. OUR PERSONNEL CAME BACK WITH A FULL WX RPT WHICH HE SAID WAS 'SKY PARTIALLY OBSCURED 300 3/4 MI IN FOG, I CALLED THAT IN ABOUT 5 MINS AGO.' I ASKED FOR THE WIND, HE CAME BACK WITH 'WIND CALM.' I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE COPIED THE WIND, HE CAME BACK WITH 'WIND CALM.' I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE COPIED THE WX? HE SAID 'I DIDN'T HEAR IT.' I LOOKED AT HIS RADIO PANEL WHICH WAS SET UP TO HEAR BOTH RADIOS AND SAID 'IT'S 3/4 OF A MI.' HE SAID 'I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT.' I SAID OK AND TOLD HIM THE WINDS CALM. BY NOW WE WERE ON ABOUT A 1/4 MI FINAL CONFIGURED TO LAND. IN MY MIND WE WERE NO LONGER LEGAL FOR THE VISUAL BUT I MADE A QUICK DECISION THAT IT WAS NOT A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE AS WE COULD CLRLY SEE THE RWY FROM AS FAR AWAY AS 5 MI, THE CAPT WAS NOT PREPARED OR INTERESTED IN MAKING A GAR, VERY SHORT FINAL WAS NOT THE TIME OR PLACE TO BE ARGUING THE LEGAL MERITS OF OUR APCH, SO I CALLED THE LNDG CHKLIST COMPLETE AND WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I CANCELLED IFR WITH ALW FLT SVC. HAD I BEEN THE PF I MIGHT HAVE SUGGESTED WE GAR AND GET AN INST APCH CLRNC. EVEN THAT OPTION SEEMS RIDICULOUS CONSIDERING THAT CLRLY THE SAFEST THING TO DO IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHILE MAYBE NOT LEGAL WAS JUST TO LAND. ANOTHER ISSUE BUT ONE I CAN'T QUITE FIGURE OUT, IS HOW WE WERE ABLE TO BE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH BUT NOT THE CONTACT APCH.

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.