Narrative:

On may/thu/95 I was first officer on a flight departing fyv-bna. We inadvertently took off below fyv takeoff minimums. We departed the gate at XC00 am. It was my flight leg. Release WX at XF54Z (XA54 am) was 400 ft overcast with 5 mi visibility light drizzle/fog. Fyv takeoff minimums runway 34 500 ft at 1 KT. Due to a last min aircraft swap (fyv had set up the wrong aircraft for flight) I was very busy completing the preflight inspection, cockpit checks, crew log, to/landing card, performance calculation (vaq), aircraft load manifest, route planning and prestart checklist. There was no ATIS available. We requested ryv to bring current WX since release WX was 1 hour old, they complied. Completing the after start checks, I requested taxi from tower, we proceeded to and held short of runway 34. Tower advised ATIS was up. We listened to ATIS (400 ft overcast, 1 mi visibility). We both looked at takeoff procedure and noticed the 1 mi visibility and noted the departure procedure. I was just catching up to the aircraft and did not catch the 500 ft ceiling minimum. At that time, tower interrupted us to tell us new ATIS was up (he did not read the sa). We flipped up ATIS again to hear 300 ft 1 KT. With all the interruptions, it did not register to me that the ceiling was below takeoff minimums. Tower cleared us to takeoff at XC14 am, off XC15 am. Apparently this is a case of takeoff minimums being overlooked at least 3 times. The dispatcher cut the release with 400 ft overcast, the captain and myself. For myself, I was very busy completing my duties and several items set out in the company flight manual which are the responsibility of the captain (ie, crew log and load manifest). In addition, I was pushed behind the curve by the last min aircraft swap. I will be the first to admit that in the future I will not be placed in this compromising position of trying to force an on- time departure. Safety and planning comes first! Supplemental information from acn 305467: while I performed engine checks, first officer copied ATIS. WX appeared to be improving and first officer stated we are legal to depart. I restated our IFR departure procedure and runway for emergency return and called ready on runway 34. Tower then cleared us for takeoff and a normal takeoff and departure were performed. I was notified 5 hours later that ceiling was still 400 ft at departure. I should have questioned the first officer when he stated we were legal to go.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF MINIMUMS CEILING. ACR CREW DEPARTED WITH THE WX SHOWING A CEILING BELOW THE TKOF MINIMUMS.

Narrative: ON MAY/THU/95 I WAS FO ON A FLT DEPARTING FYV-BNA. WE INADVERTENTLY TOOK OFF BELOW FYV TKOF MINIMUMS. WE DEPARTED THE GATE AT XC00 AM. IT WAS MY FLT LEG. RELEASE WX AT XF54Z (XA54 AM) WAS 400 FT OVCST WITH 5 MI VISIBILITY LIGHT DRIZZLE/FOG. FYV TKOF MINIMUMS RWY 34 500 FT AT 1 KT. DUE TO A LAST MIN ACFT SWAP (FYV HAD SET UP THE WRONG ACFT FOR FLT) I WAS VERY BUSY COMPLETING THE PREFLT INSPECTION, COCKPIT CHKS, CREW LOG, TO/LNDG CARD, PERFORMANCE CALCULATION (VAQ), ACFT LOAD MANIFEST, RTE PLANNING AND PRESTART CHKLIST. THERE WAS NO ATIS AVAILABLE. WE REQUESTED RYV TO BRING CURRENT WX SINCE RELEASE WX WAS 1 HR OLD, THEY COMPLIED. COMPLETING THE AFTER START CHKS, I REQUESTED TAXI FROM TWR, WE PROCEEDED TO AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 34. TWR ADVISED ATIS WAS UP. WE LISTENED TO ATIS (400 FT OVCST, 1 MI VISIBILITY). WE BOTH LOOKED AT TKOF PROC AND NOTICED THE 1 MI VISIBILITY AND NOTED THE DEP PROC. I WAS JUST CATCHING UP TO THE ACFT AND DID NOT CATCH THE 500 FT CEILING MINIMUM. AT THAT TIME, TWR INTERRUPTED US TO TELL US NEW ATIS WAS UP (HE DID NOT READ THE SA). WE FLIPPED UP ATIS AGAIN TO HEAR 300 FT 1 KT. WITH ALL THE INTERRUPTIONS, IT DID NOT REGISTER TO ME THAT THE CEILING WAS BELOW TKOF MINIMUMS. TWR CLRED US TO TKOF AT XC14 AM, OFF XC15 AM. APPARENTLY THIS IS A CASE OF TKOF MINIMUMS BEING OVERLOOKED AT LEAST 3 TIMES. THE DISPATCHER CUT THE RELEASE WITH 400 FT OVCST, THE CAPT AND MYSELF. FOR MYSELF, I WAS VERY BUSY COMPLETING MY DUTIES AND SEVERAL ITEMS SET OUT IN THE COMPANY FLT MANUAL WHICH ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CAPT (IE, CREW LOG AND LOAD MANIFEST). IN ADDITION, I WAS PUSHED BEHIND THE CURVE BY THE LAST MIN ACFT SWAP. I WILL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT BE PLACED IN THIS COMPROMISING POS OF TRYING TO FORCE AN ON- TIME DEP. SAFETY AND PLANNING COMES FIRST! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305467: WHILE I PERFORMED ENG CHKS, FO COPIED ATIS. WX APPEARED TO BE IMPROVING AND FO STATED WE ARE LEGAL TO DEPART. I RESTATED OUR IFR DEP PROC AND RWY FOR EMER RETURN AND CALLED READY ON RWY 34. TWR THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF AND A NORMAL TKOF AND DEP WERE PERFORMED. I WAS NOTIFIED 5 HRS LATER THAT CEILING WAS STILL 400 FT AT DEP. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE FO WHEN HE STATED WE WERE LEGAL TO GO.

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.