Atx EMS service proceeds to destination airport without benefit of approved WX reporting service.

Attributes
ACN	279976
Time
Date	199408
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : wvi
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mry
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Learjet 25
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	279976
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	279979
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

Air ambulance transport of critical case patient from ft worth, tx, to watsonville under far 135. Watsonville ASOS was not reporting but was not NOTAM OTS. Salinas and monterey were VFR and forecast to stay that way. On our penetration we discovered no ASOS report to be had. We called unicom and were told the airport was VFR monterey and salinas had gone IFR with fog. Monterey approach control told us that aircraft were getting into watsonville using the localizer to runway 2 and that pilot reports indicated the airport at watsonville was VFR. The approach and landing were uneventful. Safety was never an issue. The question was whether or not we had made an instrument approach to a field without approved WX reporting. It depends on who is defining the terms. Supplemental information from acn 279979: when checking the WX at wvi we found that the ASOS system was inoperative. Safety was not an issue and the landing was uneventful. For us to arrange for an ambulance at salinas, ca, would have put the patient in an unnecessary and stressful position. For the patient's well being we decided to shoot the approach. The other pilot and myself feel that special authorization for medivac should be given in sits like this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX EMS SVC PROCEEDS TO DEST ARPT WITHOUT BENEFIT OF APPROVED WX RPTING SVC.

Narrative: AIR AMBULANCE TRANSPORT OF CRITICAL CASE PATIENT FROM FT WORTH, TX, TO WATSONVILLE UNDER FAR 135. WATSONVILLE ASOS WAS NOT RPTING BUT WAS NOT NOTAM OTS. SALINAS AND MONTEREY WERE VFR AND FORECAST TO STAY THAT WAY. ON OUR PENETRATION WE DISCOVERED NO ASOS RPT TO BE HAD. WE CALLED UNICOM AND WERE TOLD THE ARPT WAS VFR MONTEREY AND SALINAS HAD GONE IFR WITH FOG. MONTEREY APCH CTL TOLD US THAT ACFT WERE GETTING INTO WATSONVILLE USING THE LOC TO RWY 2 AND THAT PLT RPTS INDICATED THE ARPT AT WATSONVILLE WAS VFR. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. SAFETY WAS NEVER AN ISSUE. THE QUESTION WAS WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD MADE AN INST APCH TO A FIELD WITHOUT APPROVED WX RPTING. IT DEPENDS ON WHO IS DEFINING THE TERMS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 279979: WHEN CHKING THE WX AT WVI WE FOUND THAT THE ASOS SYS WAS INOP. SAFETY WAS NOT AN ISSUE AND THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. FOR US TO ARRANGE FOR AN AMBULANCE AT SALINAS, CA, WOULD HAVE PUT THE PATIENT IN AN UNNECESSARY AND STRESSFUL POS. FOR THE PATIENT'S WELL BEING WE DECIDED TO SHOOT THE APCH. THE OTHER PLT AND MYSELF FEEL THAT SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION FOR MEDIVAC SHOULD BE GIVEN IN SITS LIKE THIS.

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.