Pilot flies to destination in IMC with no WX briefing.

Attributes
ACN	297770
Time
Date	199502
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aia
State Reference	NE
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commander 680 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : missed approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 214 flight time total : 3364 flight time type : 270
ASRS Report	297770
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Making an IFR approach into an airport under far 135 without WX reporting. On the night of feb/kk/95, I departed on a scheduled cargo run in an aeronautical commander 680FL (AC68). It was my first time on this particular run. I had previously flown into all of the airports except the final destination, and I flew the AC 68 regularly. As part of my preparation I talked with a pilot who normally flies the run, the company director of training. We talked about where to park at the different airports, how to load the airplane, how to get to the motel after I was done. They did not mention, and of course it was my responsibility to find out, that the last airport had a part time control zone. My company flies into this airport 6 nights a week. I assumed that there was some sort of official WX reporting at the airport. My first clue should have come from my preflight briefing. The briefer did not give me destination WX. He gave me the WX at a nearby airport. There were MDA's on the destination airport approach plate for the altimeter settings he was giving me. I assumed that is how we made the approach into that approach. On the final leg of the flight, I asked myself 'why am I doing this, there is no WX at this airport!' I dismissed the thought. I told myself that my company flies into this airport 6 nights a week. It has to be legal. I missed the approach twice and had to return to the previous stop. The next day, my chief pilot told me that I was supposed to call the airport manager when the WX was down. The airport manager would get out of bed and make a WX observation for us. Never assume anything! The next time that I am asking myself 'why am I doing this,' I will stop, turn around and land, make a phone call or two and get more information. It would have meant a lot fewer problems for me on this trip. The company plans to make written instructions for each route that they fly so that important information will be passed along to new pilots on the rtes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLIES TO DEST IN IMC WITH NO WX BRIEFING.

Narrative: MAKING AN IFR APCH INTO AN ARPT UNDER FAR 135 WITHOUT WX RPTING. ON THE NIGHT OF FEB/KK/95, I DEPARTED ON A SCHEDULED CARGO RUN IN AN AERO COMMANDER 680FL (AC68). IT WAS MY FIRST TIME ON THIS PARTICULAR RUN. I HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN INTO ALL OF THE ARPTS EXCEPT THE FINAL DEST, AND I FLEW THE AC 68 REGULARLY. AS PART OF MY PREPARATION I TALKED WITH A PLT WHO NORMALLY FLIES THE RUN, THE COMPANY DIRECTOR OF TRAINING. WE TALKED ABOUT WHERE TO PARK AT THE DIFFERENT ARPTS, HOW TO LOAD THE AIRPLANE, HOW TO GET TO THE MOTEL AFTER I WAS DONE. THEY DID NOT MENTION, AND OF COURSE IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT, THAT THE LAST ARPT HAD A PART TIME CTL ZONE. MY COMPANY FLIES INTO THIS ARPT 6 NIGHTS A WK. I ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF OFFICIAL WX RPTING AT THE ARPT. MY FIRST CLUE SHOULD HAVE COME FROM MY PREFLT BRIEFING. THE BRIEFER DID NOT GIVE ME DEST WX. HE GAVE ME THE WX AT A NEARBY ARPT. THERE WERE MDA'S ON THE DEST ARPT APCH PLATE FOR THE ALTIMETER SETTINGS HE WAS GIVING ME. I ASSUMED THAT IS HOW WE MADE THE APCH INTO THAT APCH. ON THE FINAL LEG OF THE FLT, I ASKED MYSELF 'WHY AM I DOING THIS, THERE IS NO WX AT THIS ARPT!' I DISMISSED THE THOUGHT. I TOLD MYSELF THAT MY COMPANY FLIES INTO THIS ARPT 6 NIGHTS A WK. IT HAS TO BE LEGAL. I MISSED THE APCH TWICE AND HAD TO RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS STOP. THE NEXT DAY, MY CHIEF PLT TOLD ME THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL THE ARPT MGR WHEN THE WX WAS DOWN. THE ARPT MGR WOULD GET OUT OF BED AND MAKE A WX OBSERVATION FOR US. NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING! THE NEXT TIME THAT I AM ASKING MYSELF 'WHY AM I DOING THIS,' I WILL STOP, TURN AROUND AND LAND, MAKE A PHONE CALL OR TWO AND GET MORE INFO. IT WOULD HAVE MEANT A LOT FEWER PROBS FOR ME ON THIS TRIP. THE COMPANY PLANS TO MAKE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH RTE THAT THEY FLY SO THAT IMPORTANT INFO WILL BE PASSED ALONG TO NEW PLTS ON THE RTES.

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.