Narrative:

I accepted clearance for and began an sre approach to runway 20 at brussels (page 18-1). High winds, with gust above 30 KTS and wet runway conditions, made runway 20 the only logical choice for landing. Ceiling was about 1900 ft with increasing breaks in the overcast as we approached what might be considered a FAF. Ground contact was made early in the approach and about 5 mi from the airport we received a visual approach clearance. My questions include: what is an sre approach? Am I legal? And why do I have an approach plate for an approach that I have, until this day, never heard of, received training in, and can find no reference to in part 1 commercial chart 10-7 pages, etc? While at no time during the approach was safety compromised, my first officer, relief pilot and I are concerned with the legality of even beginning this approach, much less continuing such an approach to minimums, should that be necessary in the future. Given the conditions at the time, information on the commercial chart 18-1 page, along with guidance from a radar controller, the sre approach was certainly a safer operation than conducting an ILS to runway 25L or runway 25R and circling to runway 20 -- that being our only other option short of diverting to an alternate. While there are some 2.5 pages of arrival information -- primarily noise abatement procedures for this airport -- there is no mention of an sre approach to runway 20.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 CAPT VOICES HIS CONCERN OVER THE RADAR SRE APCH TO RWY 20 AS ISSUED BY APCH CTLR AT EBBR. THE CREW HAD NO TRAINING IN THIS TYPE APCH AND NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE.

Narrative: I ACCEPTED CLRNC FOR AND BEGAN AN SRE APCH TO RWY 20 AT BRUSSELS (PAGE 18-1). HIGH WINDS, WITH GUST ABOVE 30 KTS AND WET RWY CONDITIONS, MADE RWY 20 THE ONLY LOGICAL CHOICE FOR LNDG. CEILING WAS ABOUT 1900 FT WITH INCREASING BREAKS IN THE OVCST AS WE APCHED WHAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A FAF. GND CONTACT WAS MADE EARLY IN THE APCH AND ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT WE RECEIVED A VISUAL APCH CLRNC. MY QUESTIONS INCLUDE: WHAT IS AN SRE APCH? AM I LEGAL? AND WHY DO I HAVE AN APCH PLATE FOR AN APCH THAT I HAVE, UNTIL THIS DAY, NEVER HEARD OF, RECEIVED TRAINING IN, AND CAN FIND NO REF TO IN PART 1 COMMERCIAL CHART 10-7 PAGES, ETC? WHILE AT NO TIME DURING THE APCH WAS SAFETY COMPROMISED, MY FO, RELIEF PLT AND I ARE CONCERNED WITH THE LEGALITY OF EVEN BEGINNING THIS APCH, MUCH LESS CONTINUING SUCH AN APCH TO MINIMUMS, SHOULD THAT BE NECESSARY IN THE FUTURE. GIVEN THE CONDITIONS AT THE TIME, INFO ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART 18-1 PAGE, ALONG WITH GUIDANCE FROM A RADAR CTLR, THE SRE APCH WAS CERTAINLY A SAFER OP THAN CONDUCTING AN ILS TO RWY 25L OR RWY 25R AND CIRCLING TO RWY 20 -- THAT BEING OUR ONLY OTHER OPTION SHORT OF DIVERTING TO AN ALTERNATE. WHILE THERE ARE SOME 2.5 PAGES OF ARR INFO -- PRIMARILY NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS FOR THIS ARPT -- THERE IS NO MENTION OF AN SRE APCH TO RWY 20.

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.