E120 crew was given a visual approach to san and although they had the runway in sight, the tower reported RVR 6000 ft while they were on short final.

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Attributes
ACN	423802
Time
Date	199812
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	423802
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	423801
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure other

Narrative:

Before starting the approach at san we received WX 3 mi visibility and 100 ft scattered. Approach brought us in longer than usual and closer to the airport. I told them I had the airport in sight, although it was partially obscured by what I thought were low clouds from the WX report. Due to an aircraft on final to follow us and because we were lower than usual for an approach at this airport, I turned final too soon and found myself somewhat high on the approach. I attempted to correct this by descending aggressively. About the time we turned on final, the tower reported landing RVR at 6000 ft. It never occurred to me that meant we were no longer legal for a visual approach. I was busy trying to get down and stabilize the approach path. This resulted in numerous GPWS 'sink rate' warnings, which subsided about 100 ft above the runway. It still resulted in a firm landing and then we rolled into some very dense fog and had to slowly pick our way off the runway onto the taxiway. It would have been helpful to get an RVR reading as soon as we talked to tower or from socal approach before they gave us clearance for the visual.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 CREW WAS GIVEN A VISUAL APCH TO SAN AND ALTHOUGH THEY HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT, THE TWR RPTED RVR 6000 FT WHILE THEY WERE ON SHORT FINAL.

Narrative: BEFORE STARTING THE APCH AT SAN WE RECEIVED WX 3 MI VISIBILITY AND 100 FT SCATTERED. APCH BROUGHT US IN LONGER THAN USUAL AND CLOSER TO THE ARPT. I TOLD THEM I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, ALTHOUGH IT WAS PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY WHAT I THOUGHT WERE LOW CLOUDS FROM THE WX RPT. DUE TO AN ACFT ON FINAL TO FOLLOW US AND BECAUSE WE WERE LOWER THAN USUAL FOR AN APCH AT THIS ARPT, I TURNED FINAL TOO SOON AND FOUND MYSELF SOMEWHAT HIGH ON THE APCH. I ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THIS BY DSNDING AGGRESSIVELY. ABOUT THE TIME WE TURNED ON FINAL, THE TWR RPTED LNDG RVR AT 6000 FT. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT MEANT WE WERE NO LONGER LEGAL FOR A VISUAL APCH. I WAS BUSY TRYING TO GET DOWN AND STABILIZE THE APCH PATH. THIS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS GPWS 'SINK RATE' WARNINGS, WHICH SUBSIDED ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE THE RWY. IT STILL RESULTED IN A FIRM LNDG AND THEN WE ROLLED INTO SOME VERY DENSE FOG AND HAD TO SLOWLY PICK OUR WAY OFF THE RWY ONTO THE TXWY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO GET AN RVR READING AS SOON AS WE TALKED TO TWR OR FROM SOCAL APCH BEFORE THEY GAVE US CLRNC FOR THE VISUAL.

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.