Narrative:

Departed lax first flight out. ATIS gave visibility as 4 mi. Told to position and hold. Tower came back with 'RVR greater than 6000 ft, midfield 500 ft, rollout 500 ft cleared for takeoff.' we did and then began to wonder if it was legal. Our operations specifications say 600,600, 600 all of which are controling. It was confusing since we had well over a mi at the departure point. Even our management pilots are not certain of legalities. We are a major carrier. There were other departures behind us. If it had been a field with just an approach RVR, there would have been no question. It was visual approach WX. Just the departure end had a fogbank.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 FIRST TO DEPART LAX. RVR READING 6000 FT MIDFIELD 500 FT, ROLLOUT 500 FT. COMPANY OP SPECS REQUIRE 600-600-600. CONFUSED BY THE MI VISIBILITY AT THE DEP POINT. FOG AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY ONLY.

Narrative: DEPARTED LAX FIRST FLT OUT. ATIS GAVE VISIBILITY AS 4 MI. TOLD TO POS AND HOLD. TWR CAME BACK WITH 'RVR GREATER THAN 6000 FT, MIDFIELD 500 FT, ROLLOUT 500 FT CLRED FOR TKOF.' WE DID AND THEN BEGAN TO WONDER IF IT WAS LEGAL. OUR OPS SPECS SAY 600,600, 600 ALL OF WHICH ARE CTLING. IT WAS CONFUSING SINCE WE HAD WELL OVER A MI AT THE DEP POINT. EVEN OUR MGMNT PLTS ARE NOT CERTAIN OF LEGALITIES. WE ARE A MAJOR CARRIER. THERE WERE OTHER DEPS BEHIND US. IF IT HAD BEEN A FIELD WITH JUST AN APCH RVR, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO QUESTION. IT WAS VISUAL APCH WX. JUST THE DEP END HAD A FOGBANK.

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.