Narrative:

On the evening of 12/92, I was scheduled to deliver a liver to a patient in pittsburgh, PA. I was originally scheduled at xxpm but due to a delay in surgery, the trip did not leave until xzpm. I checked the WX in at pittsburgh and it was obscured and 1/6 of a mi. But the forecast for my time of arrival was calling for approach mins. I notified the organ team that it may be touchy getting into pittsburgh so at the last min they decided to go to wheeling, wv. At this time I checked the WX and wheeling was reporting 1100 broken and 5 mi, with a forecast to be much better than that. I then departed omaha with the organ. As I do all the time I checked the WX en route to keep updated. The WX report that FSS gave me at that time was 2 hours old. I then asked when the next report was coming out, and they told me that wheeling stopped reporting at 9 O'clock. I was faced with a dilemma. I had a vital organ on board, a patient on the table in pittsburgh, a courier waiting in wheeling to receive the organ to transport it to the hospital, and no WX at the destination which is required under 135. So, I called FSS and requested that they call wheeling airport to see if they could make a report for my time of arrival. FSS made the call and found out that the tower makes the reports and the tower controller had gone home for the day and they did not know how to get in touch with him. At that time I was about 45 mins away from wheeling, wv, and pittsburgh was still reporting 0, 0. I feel that the only thing to do was to continue to wheeling, wv, and try the approach into the airport. Upon doing so I completed the mission and delivered the organ to the courier with no mishap. This situation occurred due to many factors. One was the last min change in the destination, the urgency and need for this organ to be delivered, as PIC I overlooked the possibility that the tower would close and they made all the WX reports. In the future I realize that flight planning is essential to avoid this type of situation from happening again. But given the same situation even if it was not due to an oversight on my part I would have done the same thing and requested an approach to wheeling, wv, based on the need of an individuals health and welfare.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON ADHERENCE TO FAR REQUIRING A WX RPTING FACILITY AT DEST ARPT FOR OP UNDER PART 135 IFR APCH.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF 12/92, I WAS SCHEDULED TO DELIVER A LIVER TO A PATIENT IN PITTSBURGH, PA. I WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED AT XXPM BUT DUE TO A DELAY IN SURGERY, THE TRIP DID NOT LEAVE UNTIL XZPM. I CHKED THE WX IN AT PITTSBURGH AND IT WAS OBSCURED AND 1/6 OF A MI. BUT THE FORECAST FOR MY TIME OF ARR WAS CALLING FOR APCH MINS. I NOTIFIED THE ORGAN TEAM THAT IT MAY BE TOUCHY GETTING INTO PITTSBURGH SO AT THE LAST MIN THEY DECIDED TO GO TO WHEELING, WV. AT THIS TIME I CHKED THE WX AND WHEELING WAS RPTING 1100 BROKEN AND 5 MI, WITH A FORECAST TO BE MUCH BETTER THAN THAT. I THEN DEPARTED OMAHA WITH THE ORGAN. AS I DO ALL THE TIME I CHKED THE WX ENRTE TO KEEP UPDATED. THE WX RPT THAT FSS GAVE ME AT THAT TIME WAS 2 HRS OLD. I THEN ASKED WHEN THE NEXT RPT WAS COMING OUT, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT WHEELING STOPPED RPTING AT 9 O'CLOCK. I WAS FACED WITH A DILEMMA. I HAD A VITAL ORGAN ON BOARD, A PATIENT ON THE TABLE IN PITTSBURGH, A COURIER WAITING IN WHEELING TO RECEIVE THE ORGAN TO TRANSPORT IT TO THE HOSPITAL, AND NO WX AT THE DEST WHICH IS REQUIRED UNDER 135. SO, I CALLED FSS AND REQUESTED THAT THEY CALL WHEELING ARPT TO SEE IF THEY COULD MAKE A RPT FOR MY TIME OF ARR. FSS MADE THE CALL AND FOUND OUT THAT THE TWR MAKES THE RPTS AND THE TWR CTLR HAD GONE HOME FOR THE DAY AND THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM. AT THAT TIME I WAS ABOUT 45 MINS AWAY FROM WHEELING, WV, AND PITTSBURGH WAS STILL RPTING 0, 0. I FEEL THAT THE ONLY THING TO DO WAS TO CONTINUE TO WHEELING, WV, AND TRY THE APCH INTO THE ARPT. UPON DOING SO I COMPLETED THE MISSION AND DELIVERED THE ORGAN TO THE COURIER WITH NO MISHAP. THIS SITUATION OCCURRED DUE TO MANY FACTORS. ONE WAS THE LAST MIN CHANGE IN THE DEST, THE URGENCY AND NEED FOR THIS ORGAN TO BE DELIVERED, AS PIC I OVERLOOKED THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE TWR WOULD CLOSE AND THEY MADE ALL THE WX RPTS. IN THE FUTURE I REALIZE THAT FLT PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF SITUATION FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. BUT GIVEN THE SAME SITUATION EVEN IF IT WAS NOT DUE TO AN OVERSIGHT ON MY PART I WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING AND REQUESTED AN APCH TO WHEELING, WV, BASED ON THE NEED OF AN INDIVIDUALS HEALTH AND WELFARE.

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.