Narrative:

We were on an IFR flight plan, part 121 scheduled flight to sav. We were estimated to arrive sav at XA30. At this late hour, the tower was closed and it was necessary to get the field WX observation from ZJX. The WX (reported by AWOS) was a 20 min old observation and was VMC. Conditions reported were: winds variable at 5 KTS, sky clear, visibility 10 mi, temperature 18 degrees C, dewpoint 17 degrees C, altimeter 29.65. When we departed cvg, a line of thunderstorms was reported to have just passed over the airport at sav. When we arrived at sav, they had moved approximately 20 mi east. When we were 10 mi from the airport we reported the airport in sight, as we could see the rotating beacon. ZJX cleared us for the visual approach to runway 9 and gave us a frequency change. The captain was the PF, and he flew a downwind, base and final pattern. He flew a visual approach backed up with the ILS to runway 9. As we lined up with the runway and began descending, it became apparent that there was a low-lying scattered to broken layer with bases at 500-600 ft AGL, and we were unable to remain clear of the clouds. This inadvertent entry into IMC while on a visual approach was caused mostly by the extreme darkness of this area (no moonlight and this area west of the airport is undeveloped and extremely dark). A contributing factor was the lack of a human WX observer on the field. The AWOS was reporting VMC, which may have been the case directly over the sensor platform, but was definitely in error. After landing uneventfully, we closed our IFR flight plan with ZJX and issued a PIREP that conditions were MVFR at the airport at best, for the benefit of later arriving aircraft.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW ON A VISUAL APCH TO SAV AFTER THE TWR IS CLOSED ENCOUNTERS WX BUT ELECTS TO CONTINUE.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, PART 121 SCHEDULED FLT TO SAV. WE WERE ESTIMATED TO ARRIVE SAV AT XA30. AT THIS LATE HR, THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO GET THE FIELD WX OBSERVATION FROM ZJX. THE WX (RPTED BY AWOS) WAS A 20 MIN OLD OBSERVATION AND WAS VMC. CONDITIONS RPTED WERE: WINDS VARIABLE AT 5 KTS, SKY CLR, VISIBILITY 10 MI, TEMP 18 DEGS C, DEWPOINT 17 DEGS C, ALTIMETER 29.65. WHEN WE DEPARTED CVG, A LINE OF TSTMS WAS RPTED TO HAVE JUST PASSED OVER THE ARPT AT SAV. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT SAV, THEY HAD MOVED APPROX 20 MI E. WHEN WE WERE 10 MI FROM THE ARPT WE RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT, AS WE COULD SEE THE ROTATING BEACON. ZJX CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9 AND GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. THE CAPT WAS THE PF, AND HE FLEW A DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL PATTERN. HE FLEW A VISUAL APCH BACKED UP WITH THE ILS TO RWY 9. AS WE LINED UP WITH THE RWY AND BEGAN DSNDING, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE WAS A LOW-LYING SCATTERED TO BROKEN LAYER WITH BASES AT 500-600 FT AGL, AND WE WERE UNABLE TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS. THIS INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO IMC WHILE ON A VISUAL APCH WAS CAUSED MOSTLY BY THE EXTREME DARKNESS OF THIS AREA (NO MOONLIGHT AND THIS AREA W OF THE ARPT IS UNDEVELOPED AND EXTREMELY DARK). A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF A HUMAN WX OBSERVER ON THE FIELD. THE AWOS WAS RPTING VMC, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN THE CASE DIRECTLY OVER THE SENSOR PLATFORM, BUT WAS DEFINITELY IN ERROR. AFTER LNDG UNEVENTFULLY, WE CLOSED OUR IFR FLT PLAN WITH ZJX AND ISSUED A PIREP THAT CONDITIONS WERE MVFR AT THE ARPT AT BEST, FOR THE BENEFIT OF LATER ARRIVING ACFT.

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.