Narrative:

This was my 4TH day on line as a new captain. We pulled out on the runway to hold for takeoff clearance. Tower reported RVR as 1800 ft. I told the first officer to tell them we would have to wait for visibility to improve. We were on runway 32L at oma. Another aircraft called and said 'if it is only 1800 ft RVR why can I see that B727 down by the other end of the runway.' tower then said that visibility was 2 mi and that the RVR was due to blowing snow. We had rolled down the runway about 200 ft. Since the tower said 'visibility' was now 2 mi I told the first officer to tell them we could take off. We were cleared for takeoff and took off and climbed out. I began to worry whether the tower meant runway or tower or airport visibility. Due to this, my attention was diverted and I missed my leveloff altitude of 3000 ft. Tower informed us that our mode C indicated 4000 ft. We acknowledged and I descended back to 3000 ft. My confusion over whether the tower meant airport visibility or tower visibility distraction me. If the RVR was still 1800 ft we would have needed a takeoff alternate, which we did not have on our release. I believed that the tower just said airport visibility and that we were legal to go. We also had taxied up the runway maybe 200 ft and our airport analysis was for the full length.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B1900A NEW CAPT ON TKOF WAS CONCERNED WHETHER HE HAD LEGAL VISIBILITY FOR TKOF AND IN CLB WENT THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT BY 1000 FT WHEN CTLR ALERTED HIM.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY 4TH DAY ON LINE AS A NEW CAPT. WE PULLED OUT ON THE RWY TO HOLD FOR TKOF CLRNC. TWR RPTED RVR AS 1800 FT. I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THEM WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR VISIBILITY TO IMPROVE. WE WERE ON RWY 32L AT OMA. ANOTHER ACFT CALLED AND SAID 'IF IT IS ONLY 1800 FT RVR WHY CAN I SEE THAT B727 DOWN BY THE OTHER END OF THE RWY.' TWR THEN SAID THAT VISIBILITY WAS 2 MI AND THAT THE RVR WAS DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. WE HAD ROLLED DOWN THE RWY ABOUT 200 FT. SINCE THE TWR SAID 'VISIBILITY' WAS NOW 2 MI I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THEM WE COULD TAKE OFF. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND TOOK OFF AND CLBED OUT. I BEGAN TO WORRY WHETHER THE TWR MEANT RWY OR TWR OR ARPT VISIBILITY. DUE TO THIS, MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED AND I MISSED MY LEVELOFF ALT OF 3000 FT. TWR INFORMED US THAT OUR MODE C INDICATED 4000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND I DSNDED BACK TO 3000 FT. MY CONFUSION OVER WHETHER THE TWR MEANT ARPT VISIBILITY OR TWR VISIBILITY DISTR ME. IF THE RVR WAS STILL 1800 FT WE WOULD HAVE NEEDED A TKOF ALTERNATE, WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE ON OUR RELEASE. I BELIEVED THAT THE TWR JUST SAID ARPT VISIBILITY AND THAT WE WERE LEGAL TO GO. WE ALSO HAD TAXIED UP THE RWY MAYBE 200 FT AND OUR ARPT ANALYSIS WAS FOR THE FULL LENGTH.

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.