Low visibility approach go around too late aircraft landed off runway.

Attributes
ACN	311404
Time
Date	199507
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bgm
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Learjet 55
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 22
ASRS Report	311404
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was a copilot on a lr-55 charter flight from ads to bgm. On descent into bgm, ATIS was reporting 3/4 mi visibility with fog. ILS runway 16 was in use. We (the crew) overheard approach control say that the visibility was 3/16 mi. When the captain questioned the controller about the visibility, the controller responded that the official visibility was 3/4 mi, but an aircraft ahead of us reported the runway lights in sight 8-9 mi out on final for runway 16. Approach asked us for our intentions. Captain responded by stating that we would like to shoot the approach while the visibility was still above minimums (1/2 mi). Approach gave us vectors for the ILS runway 16 and cleared us for the approach. Upon turning on the localizer, I spotted the approach lights for the runway. Upon reaching decision ht, the captain transitioned to the visual landing phase of the approach. Upon staring his level off, we ran into a dense fog, losing sight of the runway. We drifted left, I picked up the runway edge lights, and started to call attention to the captain. At this point he also realized we were drifting off the runway, and started to initiate a go around. At this point the aircraft settled on the ground a few ft left of the runway. Upon touching down, the captain maneuvered the aircraft back on the runway, closing the throttles completely, applying reverse thrust and braking. After stopping on the runway, we notified tower, inspected the aircraft, asked for taxi clearance, and taxied to the ramp. After shutdown, the captain called the tower by telephone. There were no injuries in the incident. I think, ATC was trying to do us a favor by reporting the visibility at 3/4 mi when it was 3/16 mi. The captain did want the minimums to be legal, knowing that another aircraft picked up the approach lights 8-9 mi out. The visibility was good until leveling off when the horizontal visibility went to almost zero. At that point, it was too late to do a missed approach. By the time we were shut down, the whole airport was covered with dense fog. (Before starting approach, we did ask ATC for an RVR report on runway 34 but were unable to obtain one.)

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW VISIBILITY APCH GAR TOO LATE ACFT LANDED OFF RWY.

Narrative: I WAS A COPLT ON A LR-55 CHARTER FLT FROM ADS TO BGM. ON DSCNT INTO BGM, ATIS WAS RPTING 3/4 MI VISIBILITY WITH FOG. ILS RWY 16 WAS IN USE. WE (THE CREW) OVERHEARD APCH CTL SAY THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS 3/16 MI. WHEN THE CAPT QUESTIONED THE CTLR ABOUT THE VISIBILITY, THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT THE OFFICIAL VISIBILITY WAS 3/4 MI, BUT AN ACFT AHEAD OF US RPTED THE RWY LIGHTS IN SIGHT 8-9 MI OUT ON FINAL FOR RWY 16. APCH ASKED US FOR OUR INTENTIONS. CAPT RESPONDED BY STATING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOOT THE APCH WHILE THE VISIBILITY WAS STILL ABOVE MINIMUMS (1/2 MI). APCH GAVE US VECTORS FOR THE ILS RWY 16 AND CLRED US FOR THE APCH. UPON TURNING ON THE LOC, I SPOTTED THE APCH LIGHTS FOR THE RWY. UPON REACHING DECISION HT, THE CAPT TRANSITIONED TO THE VISUAL LNDG PHASE OF THE APCH. UPON STARING HIS LEVEL OFF, WE RAN INTO A DENSE FOG, LOSING SIGHT OF THE RWY. WE DRIFTED L, I PICKED UP THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS, AND STARTED TO CALL ATTN TO THE CAPT. AT THIS POINT HE ALSO REALIZED WE WERE DRIFTING OFF THE RWY, AND STARTED TO INITIATE A GAR. AT THIS POINT THE ACFT SETTLED ON THE GND A FEW FT L OF THE RWY. UPON TOUCHING DOWN, THE CAPT MANEUVERED THE ACFT BACK ON THE RWY, CLOSING THE THROTTLES COMPLETELY, APPLYING REVERSE THRUST AND BRAKING. AFTER STOPPING ON THE RWY, WE NOTIFIED TWR, INSPECTED THE ACFT, ASKED FOR TAXI CLRNC, AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. AFTER SHUTDOWN, THE CAPT CALLED THE TWR BY TELEPHONE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES IN THE INCIDENT. I THINK, ATC WAS TRYING TO DO US A FAVOR BY RPTING THE VISIBILITY AT 3/4 MI WHEN IT WAS 3/16 MI. THE CAPT DID WANT THE MINIMUMS TO BE LEGAL, KNOWING THAT ANOTHER ACFT PICKED UP THE APCH LIGHTS 8-9 MI OUT. THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD UNTIL LEVELING OFF WHEN THE HORIZ VISIBILITY WENT TO ALMOST ZERO. AT THAT POINT, IT WAS TOO LATE TO DO A MISSED APCH. BY THE TIME WE WERE SHUT DOWN, THE WHOLE ARPT WAS COVERED WITH DENSE FOG. (BEFORE STARTING APCH, WE DID ASK ATC FOR AN RVR RPT ON RWY 34 BUT WERE UNABLE TO OBTAIN ONE.)

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.