An air carrier large transport captain thinks that he may have made an approach below minimums.

Attributes
ACN	263450
Time
Date	199402
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : slc tower : sus
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	264450
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

About 20 mins out, the salt lake ATIS advertised a visibility of 3 mi and an ASR approach to runway 35. I got in the books to be sure we were legal to fly the approach. We were, so I briefed the approach and set up the instruments and altimeters. (My air carrier requires published MDA or 1000 and 3, whichever is higher.) at about 15 mi out, approach control called to change to an ILS to 34, sidestep to 35. We were given an intercept heading and cleared for the approach. I started setting up the approach. I set up the 34 ILS but couldn't find a published sidestep to 35. The first officer couldn't find one either. We notified approach and were told the approach was now an ILS to runway 34 circle to land on runway 35. By this time we have established the aircraft on the 34 ILS GS and localizer and had ground contact about 6-7 mi out. Shortly thereafter, the tower advised us the aircraft ahead reported seeing the runway at 2 mi. The first officer pointed out this was below minimums. I had not thought of the 2 mi report as a WX observation but as PIREP, so I continued the approach pointing out to the first officer that it didn't make any difference since we were established on the localizer, below GS intercept altitude, and were legal to go to MDA. Later, on the ground, the first officer correctly pointed out that, since we were on a non precision approach, the FAF is the decision point for continuing the approach due to WX. Hence, this ars. Since we had ground contact from about 9 mi out and we were established on the GS and localizer on autoplt, safety was no problem. The problem was the legal slot we fit into. Neither the first officer nor myself can decide exactly when the 2 mi visual call came in. We changed approachs many times on the line, but normally this occurs only once and we have been forewarned by this ATIS. Changing from a seldom flown approach (ASR) to a non existent approach (sidestep) to a circle to land, made the cockpit a very busy place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT CAPT THINKS THAT HE MAY HAVE MADE AN APCH BELOW MINIMUMS.

Narrative: ABOUT 20 MINS OUT, THE SALT LAKE ATIS ADVERTISED A VISIBILITY OF 3 MI AND AN ASR APCH TO RWY 35. I GOT IN THE BOOKS TO BE SURE WE WERE LEGAL TO FLY THE APCH. WE WERE, SO I BRIEFED THE APCH AND SET UP THE INSTS AND ALTIMETERS. (MY ACR REQUIRES PUBLISHED MDA OR 1000 AND 3, WHICHEVER IS HIGHER.) AT ABOUT 15 MI OUT, APCH CTL CALLED TO CHANGE TO AN ILS TO 34, SIDESTEP TO 35. WE WERE GIVEN AN INTERCEPT HDG AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. I STARTED SETTING UP THE APCH. I SET UP THE 34 ILS BUT COULDN'T FIND A PUBLISHED SIDESTEP TO 35. THE FO COULDN'T FIND ONE EITHER. WE NOTIFIED APCH AND WERE TOLD THE APCH WAS NOW AN ILS TO RWY 34 CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 35. BY THIS TIME WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE ACFT ON THE 34 ILS GS AND LOC AND HAD GND CONTACT ABOUT 6-7 MI OUT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE TWR ADVISED US THE ACFT AHEAD RPTED SEEING THE RWY AT 2 MI. THE FO POINTED OUT THIS WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF THE 2 MI RPT AS A WX OBSERVATION BUT AS PIREP, SO I CONTINUED THE APCH POINTING OUT TO THE FO THAT IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE SINCE WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC, BELOW GS INTERCEPT ALT, AND WERE LEGAL TO GO TO MDA. LATER, ON THE GND, THE FO CORRECTLY POINTED OUT THAT, SINCE WE WERE ON A NON PRECISION APCH, THE FAF IS THE DECISION POINT FOR CONTINUING THE APCH DUE TO WX. HENCE, THIS ARS. SINCE WE HAD GND CONTACT FROM ABOUT 9 MI OUT AND WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE GS AND LOC ON AUTOPLT, SAFETY WAS NO PROB. THE PROB WAS THE LEGAL SLOT WE FIT INTO. NEITHER THE FO NOR MYSELF CAN DECIDE EXACTLY WHEN THE 2 MI VISUAL CALL CAME IN. WE CHANGED APCHS MANY TIMES ON THE LINE, BUT NORMALLY THIS OCCURS ONLY ONCE AND WE HAVE BEEN FOREWARNED BY THIS ATIS. CHANGING FROM A SELDOM FLOWN APCH (ASR) TO A NON EXISTENT APCH (SIDESTEP) TO A CIRCLE TO LAND, MADE THE COCKPIT A VERY BUSY PLACE.

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.