Narrative:

Upon our contacting ground control we were told that there was a 3 hour ground stop for dtw, the continuation of our flight. We had 6 passenger on board bound for dtw and were enplaning 4 more bound for dtw. Just after shutdown, ground control asked us how soon we could be airborne and if it was less than 15 mins we could be released. My first officer and I rushed the paper work and changes to our release, obtained and supervised deicing, ran checklists, started engines and called for taxi. Mkg ground told us to taxi to runway 6. Just prior to departure I was discussing deicing information via radio with our company personnel upon returning to the ATC frequency. My first officer advised me that the tower had cleared us for departure. During flight, my first officer and I were discussing the events and he stated that he could not recall if the tower had advised him that the visibility was 1 mi while I was off frequency. 1 mi is required for departure off of runway 6. I stated that we needed 1 mi and that ATIS was broadcasting only 3/4 of a mi. I thought I conveyed to ground that we needed to wait for visibility of 1 mi before departure. So I assumed that when we had been cleared for takeoff (while I was off frequency) that the visibility was reported as 1 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR LTT ACFT TKOF BELOW TKOF MINIMUMS.

Narrative: UPON OUR CONTACTING GND CTL WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS A 3 HR GND STOP FOR DTW, THE CONTINUATION OF OUR FLT. WE HAD 6 PAX ON BOARD BOUND FOR DTW AND WERE ENPLANING 4 MORE BOUND FOR DTW. JUST AFTER SHUTDOWN, GND CTL ASKED US HOW SOON WE COULD BE AIRBORNE AND IF IT WAS LESS THAN 15 MINS WE COULD BE RELEASED. MY FO AND I RUSHED THE PAPER WORK AND CHANGES TO OUR RELEASE, OBTAINED AND SUPERVISED DEICING, RAN CHKLISTS, STARTED ENGS AND CALLED FOR TAXI. MKG GND TOLD US TO TAXI TO RWY 6. JUST PRIOR TO DEP I WAS DISCUSSING DEICING INFO VIA RADIO WITH OUR COMPANY PERSONNEL UPON RETURNING TO THE ATC FREQ. MY FO ADVISED ME THAT THE TWR HAD CLRED US FOR DEP. DURING FLT, MY FO AND I WERE DISCUSSING THE EVENTS AND HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT RECALL IF THE TWR HAD ADVISED HIM THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS 1 MI WHILE I WAS OFF FREQ. 1 MI IS REQUIRED FOR DEP OFF OF RWY 6. I STATED THAT WE NEEDED 1 MI AND THAT ATIS WAS BROADCASTING ONLY 3/4 OF A MI. I THOUGHT I CONVEYED TO GND THAT WE NEEDED TO WAIT FOR VISIBILITY OF 1 MI BEFORE DEP. SO I ASSUMED THAT WHEN WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF (WHILE I WAS OFF FREQ) THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AS 1 MI.

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.