Narrative:

Arriving srq with tpa approach control. Srq ATIS WX was 24 scattered, 10 mi visibility. At approximately 15-17 mi northeast of the srq airport at 3000 ft MSL tpa approach asked us to call the airport in sight for a visual approach to runway 14. I told the first officer that we were going to need lower due to the WX at our present position which was broken clouds topping out at approximately 4500 ft MSL. Tpa approach descended us to 1600 ft MSL and passing through 2000 ft MSL I was able to see the airport. We called the field to tpa approach and he cleared us for the visual. We were now approximately 8 mi northeast of the srq airport. As we continued to the airport for a left base to final we were forced lower to maintain the visual. The clouds became more broken than scattered and the bases were at 1000 ft MSL, approximately 970 ft AGL. At approximately 4-5 NM northeast of the runway srq tower told us they were getting a low altitude warning on us and to check our altitude. We told them that we were at 1000 ft. We lost the visual on the airport and in effect were flying a contact approach (clear of the clouds, kind of). I don't even know if there is such a thing as a contact approach anymore. It certainly isn't authority/authorized by my company. We had the VOR and ILS tuned in and I'm quite familiar with the srq airport and terrain so I felt ok. However, I did not have the warm fuzzy that I like to have and both the first officer and myself remarked that what was happening was bull south___. We continued in and landed uneventfully. Taxiing in, I told srq tower that 'I don't think that visual approachs are going to work out for you.' they agreed and said that they had already called tpa approach with the new WX. Corrective actions: I don't know. 1) we could have declared a missed approach and flown towards the airport as in a circling approach. 2) we could have gone back to tpa approach control and asked for assistance. 3) most probably we called the visual too early. Effectively what I ended up doing was giving myself vectors to the final while dodging clouds and having in and out visual of the airport. I felt that this was the simplest solution and as safe as any other to getting out of the hard place I had put myself in. I knew that there was no other traffic between us and the airport and to initiate a missed approach and subsequent climb would have put us IMC. Now that I think about it, I'm a little surprised that srq tower didn't give us a heads-up on the real WX when we first checked in with them 8 NM northeast of the field. Bottom line: I took a visual too early. I don't ever recall this having happened to me before in the 14 yrs I've been doing this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B737-300 GOES IMC IN PROX OF CLOUDS DURING VISUAL APCH TO SRQ ARPT. CONTINUES APCH, IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS.

Narrative: ARRIVING SRQ WITH TPA APCH CTL. SRQ ATIS WX WAS 24 SCATTERED, 10 MI VISIBILITY. AT APPROX 15-17 MI NE OF THE SRQ ARPT AT 3000 FT MSL TPA APCH ASKED US TO CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 14. I TOLD THE FO THAT WE WERE GOING TO NEED LOWER DUE TO THE WX AT OUR PRESENT POS WHICH WAS BROKEN CLOUDS TOPPING OUT AT APPROX 4500 FT MSL. TPA APCH DSNDED US TO 1600 FT MSL AND PASSING THROUGH 2000 FT MSL I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ARPT. WE CALLED THE FIELD TO TPA APCH AND HE CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL. WE WERE NOW APPROX 8 MI NE OF THE SRQ ARPT. AS WE CONTINUED TO THE ARPT FOR A L BASE TO FINAL WE WERE FORCED LOWER TO MAINTAIN THE VISUAL. THE CLOUDS BECAME MORE BROKEN THAN SCATTERED AND THE BASES WERE AT 1000 FT MSL, APPROX 970 FT AGL. AT APPROX 4-5 NM NE OF THE RWY SRQ TWR TOLD US THEY WERE GETTING A LOW ALT WARNING ON US AND TO CHK OUR ALT. WE TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE AT 1000 FT. WE LOST THE VISUAL ON THE ARPT AND IN EFFECT WERE FLYING A CONTACT APCH (CLR OF THE CLOUDS, KIND OF). I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A CONTACT APCH ANYMORE. IT CERTAINLY ISN'T AUTH BY MY COMPANY. WE HAD THE VOR AND ILS TUNED IN AND I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE SRQ ARPT AND TERRAIN SO I FELT OK. HOWEVER, I DID NOT HAVE THE WARM FUZZY THAT I LIKE TO HAVE AND BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF REMARKED THAT WHAT WAS HAPPENING WAS BULL S___. WE CONTINUED IN AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. TAXIING IN, I TOLD SRQ TWR THAT 'I DON'T THINK THAT VISUAL APCHS ARE GOING TO WORK OUT FOR YOU.' THEY AGREED AND SAID THAT THEY HAD ALREADY CALLED TPA APCH WITH THE NEW WX. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I DON'T KNOW. 1) WE COULD HAVE DECLARED A MISSED APCH AND FLOWN TOWARDS THE ARPT AS IN A CIRCLING APCH. 2) WE COULD HAVE GONE BACK TO TPA APCH CTL AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE. 3) MOST PROBABLY WE CALLED THE VISUAL TOO EARLY. EFFECTIVELY WHAT I ENDED UP DOING WAS GIVING MYSELF VECTORS TO THE FINAL WHILE DODGING CLOUDS AND HAVING IN AND OUT VISUAL OF THE ARPT. I FELT THAT THIS WAS THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION AND AS SAFE AS ANY OTHER TO GETTING OUT OF THE HARD PLACE I HAD PUT MYSELF IN. I KNEW THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC BTWN US AND THE ARPT AND TO INITIATE A MISSED APCH AND SUBSEQUENT CLB WOULD HAVE PUT US IMC. NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT SRQ TWR DIDN'T GIVE US A HEADS-UP ON THE REAL WX WHEN WE FIRST CHKED IN WITH THEM 8 NM NE OF THE FIELD. BOTTOM LINE: I TOOK A VISUAL TOO EARLY. I DON'T EVER RECALL THIS HAVING HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE IN THE 14 YRS I'VE BEEN DOING THIS.

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.