Narrative:

Flight was scheduled to depart iad for harrisburg/middletown at XA00 local time on dec/xx/94. Crew had arrived in from norfolk, va, at XM20 and swapped aircraft for the mdt flight. The aircraft scheduled for that flight did not arrive at the gate until XM45. As the first officer, I went out to preflight the aircraft and get the clearance. As I was obtaining clearance and preparing the weight and balance manifest, the gate began boarding passenger. The captain and I rushed things to get the flight out on time. Takeoff and departure were uneventful but en route to mdt, ZNY advised us that the airport was below minimums and had been for most of the morning. The captain rechked the WX package and realized he had misread the visibility at the airport as 1 1/4 mi when, in fact, it was 1/4 mi. We held for approximately 15-20 mins when the visibility improved and we shot the ILS runway 13 and landed at mdt without any further incident. As the first officer, I normally look at the WX package to double-check the captain, but in this instance, I did not because I rushed things to get the flight out on time. I now make a point to check the WX package every time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LTT DEPARTED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN WITHOUT A PLANNED ALTERNATE DUE TO THE WX BELOW MINIMUMS AT THEIR DEST.

Narrative: FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART IAD FOR HARRISBURG/MIDDLETOWN AT XA00 LCL TIME ON DEC/XX/94. CREW HAD ARRIVED IN FROM NORFOLK, VA, AT XM20 AND SWAPPED ACFT FOR THE MDT FLT. THE ACFT SCHEDULED FOR THAT FLT DID NOT ARRIVE AT THE GATE UNTIL XM45. AS THE FO, I WENT OUT TO PREFLT THE ACFT AND GET THE CLRNC. AS I WAS OBTAINING CLRNC AND PREPARING THE WT AND BAL MANIFEST, THE GATE BEGAN BOARDING PAX. THE CAPT AND I RUSHED THINGS TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME. TKOF AND DEP WERE UNEVENTFUL BUT ENRTE TO MDT, ZNY ADVISED US THAT THE ARPT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS AND HAD BEEN FOR MOST OF THE MORNING. THE CAPT RECHKED THE WX PACKAGE AND REALIZED HE HAD MISREAD THE VISIBILITY AT THE ARPT AS 1 1/4 MI WHEN, IN FACT, IT WAS 1/4 MI. WE HELD FOR APPROX 15-20 MINS WHEN THE VISIBILITY IMPROVED AND WE SHOT THE ILS RWY 13 AND LANDED AT MDT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. AS THE FO, I NORMALLY LOOK AT THE WX PACKAGE TO DOUBLE-CHK THE CAPT, BUT IN THIS INSTANCE, I DID NOT BECAUSE I RUSHED THINGS TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME. I NOW MAKE A POINT TO CHK THE WX PACKAGE EVERY TIME.

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.