Narrative:

We were flying from dfw to rno with an ETA of late PM17 local time. The WX forecast for rno was basically clear (250 scattered) until early AM00 local, then 3 mi visibility with fog. We had not filed an alternate and had no alternate or holding fuel on board. En route, actual WX reports from rno were good, confirming the forecast. Approaching rno, ATIS was reporting clear with 10 mi visibility. After handoff to rno approach control, controller informed us that new ATIS was now reporting 2 mi visibility. I immediately requested flight engineer to obtain WX for sacramento, ca (smf) which is the nearest alternate airport. Shortly thereafter, the smf WX came in on the ACARS printer: -X 1/4F with RVR of 1000 ft. We were now on downwind to runway 16R at rno with approximately 1 hour of fuel on board and our nearest alternate below minimums. I requested the first officer to obtain the WX for san francisco and oakland, the next nearest alternates. I requested an ILS- DME approach to 16R. The tower informed us that tower visibility was now 2 mi with the RVR less than 1/4 mi. We could see the approach lights from 13 mi away. The terrain surrounding the airport was all clear, most of the city was clear, but there was a patch of ground fog covering parts of the city and most of the airport. With no other good options, we elected to continue the approach to see how things looked once we got down near the runway. Decision ht on this approach is 600 ft AGL. Tops of the ground fog was about 150 ft AGL. We flew the approach down to decision ht, then on down to 200 ft. As we got over the top of the approach lights, we could see them and the runway threshold lights. Continuing on down to 100 ft, we could see the runway lights so we continued to let down to a normal landing and rollout. I didn't want to divert the controller's attention unnecessarily to us. This was my thinking at the time in not declaring an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT CREW MADE AN APCH AND LNDG AT RNO WHEN THE WX WAS BELOW LIMITS.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM DFW TO RNO WITH AN ETA OF LATE PM17 LCL TIME. THE WX FORECAST FOR RNO WAS BASICALLY CLR (250 SCATTERED) UNTIL EARLY AM00 LCL, THEN 3 MI VISIBILITY WITH FOG. WE HAD NOT FILED AN ALTERNATE AND HAD NO ALTERNATE OR HOLDING FUEL ON BOARD. ENRTE, ACTUAL WX RPTS FROM RNO WERE GOOD, CONFIRMING THE FORECAST. APCHING RNO, ATIS WAS RPTING CLR WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY. AFTER HDOF TO RNO APCH CTL, CTLR INFORMED US THAT NEW ATIS WAS NOW RPTING 2 MI VISIBILITY. I IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED FE TO OBTAIN WX FOR SACRAMENTO, CA (SMF) WHICH IS THE NEAREST ALTERNATE ARPT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE SMF WX CAME IN ON THE ACARS PRINTER: -X 1/4F WITH RVR OF 1000 FT. WE WERE NOW ON DOWNWIND TO RWY 16R AT RNO WITH APPROX 1 HR OF FUEL ON BOARD AND OUR NEAREST ALTERNATE BELOW MINIMUMS. I REQUESTED THE FO TO OBTAIN THE WX FOR SAN FRANCISCO AND OAKLAND, THE NEXT NEAREST ALTERNATES. I REQUESTED AN ILS- DME APCH TO 16R. THE TWR INFORMED US THAT TWR VISIBILITY WAS NOW 2 MI WITH THE RVR LESS THAN 1/4 MI. WE COULD SEE THE APCH LIGHTS FROM 13 MI AWAY. THE TERRAIN SURROUNDING THE ARPT WAS ALL CLR, MOST OF THE CITY WAS CLR, BUT THERE WAS A PATCH OF GND FOG COVERING PARTS OF THE CITY AND MOST OF THE ARPT. WITH NO OTHER GOOD OPTIONS, WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH TO SEE HOW THINGS LOOKED ONCE WE GOT DOWN NEAR THE RWY. DECISION HT ON THIS APCH IS 600 FT AGL. TOPS OF THE GND FOG WAS ABOUT 150 FT AGL. WE FLEW THE APCH DOWN TO DECISION HT, THEN ON DOWN TO 200 FT. AS WE GOT OVER THE TOP OF THE APCH LIGHTS, WE COULD SEE THEM AND THE RWY THRESHOLD LIGHTS. CONTINUING ON DOWN TO 100 FT, WE COULD SEE THE RWY LIGHTS SO WE CONTINUED TO LET DOWN TO A NORMAL LNDG AND ROLLOUT. I DIDN'T WANT TO DIVERT THE CTLR'S ATTN UNNECESSARILY TO US. THIS WAS MY THINKING AT THE TIME IN NOT DECLARING AN EMER.

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.