Narrative:

I was a copilot on a scheduled air carrier operation. It was the first trip with this captain. En route we were reassigned to a different rotation that included an overnight stop into a small, mountainous airport. Captain and crew was late arriving at aircraft the next morning. The control tower was not operating until after our scheduled takeoff company operating instructions did not include information on how to obtain an IFR clearance or WX information for the airport. Clearance was finally obtained from ZSE. During taxi-out, captain loaded and executed the wrong transition in the FMC. It took some additional time to remove, reload, and verify the correct departure routing. A few more mins were spent reviewing the IFR departure procedure and the MSA on departure. ZSE advised that clearance would void if not off in 5 mins (?). A small commuter aircraft had taxied out in front of us and took off. We got the release from ZSE and we took off. Shortly after takeoff, I heard ZSE give another aircraft a 1400 ft RVR reading at medford (we needed 1600 ft RVR for takeoff minimums). In my rush to complete FMC reprogramming, review the departure, and do my other copilot duties, I realized I had failed to check the takeoff minimums for the airport. Leading me into this trap was no operating tower (normally don't get RVR readings from center), the takeoff of an aircraft in front of us, and lack of good cockpit resource management. To prevent future occurrences, I have suggested to the company that the operating instructions page for this airport include information on how to obtain a clearance with tower not operating and information that ZSE has capability to issue RVR readings for this airport. In the future, I will also advocate for an earlier hotel departure when departing from unfamiliar airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY TAKEN OFF BELOW RVR MINIMUMS.

Narrative: I WAS A COPLT ON A SCHEDULED ACR OP. IT WAS THE FIRST TRIP WITH THIS CAPT. ENRTE WE WERE REASSIGNED TO A DIFFERENT ROTATION THAT INCLUDED AN OVERNIGHT STOP INTO A SMALL, MOUNTAINOUS ARPT. CAPT AND CREW WAS LATE ARRIVING AT ACFT THE NEXT MORNING. THE CTL TWR WAS NOT OPERATING UNTIL AFTER OUR SCHEDULED TKOF COMPANY OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS DID NOT INCLUDE INFO ON HOW TO OBTAIN AN IFR CLRNC OR WX INFO FOR THE ARPT. CLRNC WAS FINALLY OBTAINED FROM ZSE. DURING TAXI-OUT, CAPT LOADED AND EXECUTED THE WRONG TRANSITION IN THE FMC. IT TOOK SOME ADDITIONAL TIME TO REMOVE, RELOAD, AND VERIFY THE CORRECT DEP ROUTING. A FEW MORE MINS WERE SPENT REVIEWING THE IFR DEP PROC AND THE MSA ON DEP. ZSE ADVISED THAT CLRNC WOULD VOID IF NOT OFF IN 5 MINS (?). A SMALL COMMUTER ACFT HAD TAXIED OUT IN FRONT OF US AND TOOK OFF. WE GOT THE RELEASE FROM ZSE AND WE TOOK OFF. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, I HEARD ZSE GIVE ANOTHER ACFT A 1400 FT RVR READING AT MEDFORD (WE NEEDED 1600 FT RVR FOR TKOF MINIMUMS). IN MY RUSH TO COMPLETE FMC REPROGRAMMING, REVIEW THE DEP, AND DO MY OTHER COPLT DUTIES, I REALIZED I HAD FAILED TO CHK THE TKOF MINIMUMS FOR THE ARPT. LEADING ME INTO THIS TRAP WAS NO OPERATING TWR (NORMALLY DON'T GET RVR READINGS FROM CTR), THE TKOF OF AN ACFT IN FRONT OF US, AND LACK OF GOOD COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT. TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES, I HAVE SUGGESTED TO THE COMPANY THAT THE OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS PAGE FOR THIS ARPT INCLUDE INFO ON HOW TO OBTAIN A CLRNC WITH TWR NOT OPERATING AND INFO THAT ZSE HAS CAPABILITY TO ISSUE RVR READINGS FOR THIS ARPT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ALSO ADVOCATE FOR AN EARLIER HOTEL DEP WHEN DEPARTING FROM UNFAMILIAR ARPTS.

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.