Narrative:

Departed elp for ptk. Fog existed at ptk all day reducing visibilities to as low as 1/8 of a mi. For the 3 hours that we approached, WX was below minimums, but slightly above minimums and improving at closest alternates, fnt and dtw. In the last hour as we approached we were told by tower that 3 airplanes had shot the ILS to runway 9R and landed. No one missed the approach. Our perception was that conditions were improving. 10 mins prior to our approach while monitoring tower an aircraft shot the approach, landed, and taxied in. He reported picking up the approach lights at 300 ft and adequate visibility. Since this was a part 91 flight we elected to try one approach then go to dtw which was well above minimums. We shot an autoplt coupled approach. Picked up approach lights at 300 ft and had them clearly in sight to 150 ft AGL where we picked up runway threshold lights and 3 runway edge lights. I disconnected autoplt at about 150 ft AGL. Winds were reported 200 degrees at 6 KTS making a slight quartering right tailwind. I think they were stronger than this during our approach. Autoplt held about a 10 degree right crab angle with GS centered, but localizer needle was offset very slightly to the right. Slightly left of centerline I began the flare and lost all visual reference except for 1 runway edge light to the right, but then immediately picked up runway centerline and runway lights on both sides again. I lowered right wing as much as possible to attempt to stop any drift and align with runway. The right wing fence at the right wingtip scuffed the runway followed by firm arrival left of centerline tracking toward centerline. I felt that when I partially lost visual reference in the flare that it was too late to attempt a miss. Visibility was worse as we exited the runway, but up as we taxied to parking. I should have listened to my gut feeling that told me this was unnecessary risk when RVR was reported at 1400 ft, less than the minimum required. I should not have attempted the approach. I should have diverted to the alternate instead. I also should have transitioned to hand flight sooner and I would have arrived on centerline instead of offset slightly to the left. The transition to hand flying would not have been done at such a critical time. As we taxied in and as I drove home through fog I realized how the conditions had contributed to this event. The fog was very thick in places and visibility was quite variable. In places it was nearly zero-zero and in others 1/2 mi or more. I encountered the lowest visibility in the flare. I have long had great discomfort with the part 91 and part 135 rule game that we are often allowed to play. I understand the reasoning behind the current proposal which may require an operator who holds a 135 certificate to operate by 135 rest standards even for his 91 operations with respect to rest and duty. We should go a step further and say if the WX is reported below takeoff or landing minimums, no one attempts takeoff or land whether 91 or 135.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN HS25 FLC CONTINUED AN APCH WHEN RVR WAS BELOW STANDARD MINIMUMS. WHILE DSNDING BELOW DECISION HT THE RWY ENVIRONMENT WAS IN SIGHT, BUT DURING THE LNDG FLARE THE FLC MOMENTARILY LOST ALL VISUAL CLUES EXCEPT ONE RWY LIGHT. THE FLC LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE R WINGTIP HAD BEEN DAMAGED DURING THE LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED ELP FOR PTK. FOG EXISTED AT PTK ALL DAY REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO AS LOW AS 1/8 OF A MI. FOR THE 3 HRS THAT WE APCHED, WX WAS BELOW MINIMUMS, BUT SLIGHTLY ABOVE MINIMUMS AND IMPROVING AT CLOSEST ALTERNATES, FNT AND DTW. IN THE LAST HR AS WE APCHED WE WERE TOLD BY TWR THAT 3 AIRPLANES HAD SHOT THE ILS TO RWY 9R AND LANDED. NO ONE MISSED THE APCH. OUR PERCEPTION WAS THAT CONDITIONS WERE IMPROVING. 10 MINS PRIOR TO OUR APCH WHILE MONITORING TWR AN ACFT SHOT THE APCH, LANDED, AND TAXIED IN. HE RPTED PICKING UP THE APCH LIGHTS AT 300 FT AND ADEQUATE VISIBILITY. SINCE THIS WAS A PART 91 FLT WE ELECTED TO TRY ONE APCH THEN GO TO DTW WHICH WAS WELL ABOVE MINIMUMS. WE SHOT AN AUTOPLT COUPLED APCH. PICKED UP APCH LIGHTS AT 300 FT AND HAD THEM CLRLY IN SIGHT TO 150 FT AGL WHERE WE PICKED UP RWY THRESHOLD LIGHTS AND 3 RWY EDGE LIGHTS. I DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AT ABOUT 150 FT AGL. WINDS WERE RPTED 200 DEGS AT 6 KTS MAKING A SLIGHT QUARTERING R TAILWIND. I THINK THEY WERE STRONGER THAN THIS DURING OUR APCH. AUTOPLT HELD ABOUT A 10 DEG R CRAB ANGLE WITH GS CTRED, BUT LOC NEEDLE WAS OFFSET VERY SLIGHTLY TO THE R. SLIGHTLY L OF CTRLINE I BEGAN THE FLARE AND LOST ALL VISUAL REF EXCEPT FOR 1 RWY EDGE LIGHT TO THE R, BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY PICKED UP RWY CTRLINE AND RWY LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES AGAIN. I LOWERED R WING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO ATTEMPT TO STOP ANY DRIFT AND ALIGN WITH RWY. THE R WING FENCE AT THE R WINGTIP SCUFFED THE RWY FOLLOWED BY FIRM ARR L OF CTRLINE TRACKING TOWARD CTRLINE. I FELT THAT WHEN I PARTIALLY LOST VISUAL REF IN THE FLARE THAT IT WAS TOO LATE TO ATTEMPT A MISS. VISIBILITY WAS WORSE AS WE EXITED THE RWY, BUT UP AS WE TAXIED TO PARKING. I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MY GUT FEELING THAT TOLD ME THIS WAS UNNECESSARY RISK WHEN RVR WAS RPTED AT 1400 FT, LESS THAN THE MINIMUM REQUIRED. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED THE APCH. I SHOULD HAVE DIVERTED TO THE ALTERNATE INSTEAD. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE TRANSITIONED TO HAND FLT SOONER AND I WOULD HAVE ARRIVED ON CTRLINE INSTEAD OF OFFSET SLIGHTLY TO THE L. THE TRANSITION TO HAND FLYING WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE AT SUCH A CRITICAL TIME. AS WE TAXIED IN AND AS I DROVE HOME THROUGH FOG I REALIZED HOW THE CONDITIONS HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT. THE FOG WAS VERY THICK IN PLACES AND VISIBILITY WAS QUITE VARIABLE. IN PLACES IT WAS NEARLY ZERO-ZERO AND IN OTHERS 1/2 MI OR MORE. I ENCOUNTERED THE LOWEST VISIBILITY IN THE FLARE. I HAVE LONG HAD GREAT DISCOMFORT WITH THE PART 91 AND PART 135 RULE GAME THAT WE ARE OFTEN ALLOWED TO PLAY. I UNDERSTAND THE REASONING BEHIND THE CURRENT PROPOSAL WHICH MAY REQUIRE AN OPERATOR WHO HOLDS A 135 CERTIFICATE TO OPERATE BY 135 REST STANDARDS EVEN FOR HIS 91 OPS WITH RESPECT TO REST AND DUTY. WE SHOULD GO A STEP FURTHER AND SAY IF THE WX IS RPTED BELOW TKOF OR LNDG MINIMUMS, NO ONE ATTEMPTS TKOF OR LAND WHETHER 91 OR 135.

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.