Narrative:

We were tracking the runway 24L localizer inbound when the visibility on runway 24R went down. Approach pulled us off and told us to expect runway 6L. Captain keyed microphone and said 'but we see the airport.' controller explained the official WX. I don't know why the captain didn't believe him. On a downwind, the controller asked an air carrier Y flight if they saw the airport. My captain jumped in and said 'we have the airport.' approach asked air carrier Y again. They answered. My captain again called the airport. It had been raining so it was possible we were looking through ground fog. Approach called the RVR 1600 ft. Too low. Later he called it 1800 ft. Air carrier Y, air carrier Z, then us went in. At minimums 1800 ft appeared correct. On the rollout we rolled into heavy fog. Actually, we began to go into fog while in the flare (there was not much of a flare, I was tired and the lights were very bright due to the fog, an ugly landing in fact). As soon as we cleared the runway, I mean, no more than 50 ft, we could see however, prompted the captain to ask for runway 6L RVR's. Tower replied something like touchdown 300 ft, midfield 8000 ft, rotation 1600 ft. I can't remember exactly but it would have made our approach illegal. In fact I knew we had the visual at decision ht. Furthermore, I didn't care if a controller is trying to help us get home, I should be told about 300 ft. Anyway, I'm exhausted as I write this so it may not be correct, but I think he may have read the runway 6L RVR's in reverse. That would make more sense, and agree with what we saw on the rollout. The captain then asked what runway 24L RVR was and it was better than 6000 ft. This upset us. When the captain asked why we couldn't use that, tower responded 'because if we needed CAT ii' capability. Well, I know air carrier Y didn't go inbound until they heard 1800 ft RVR and I think air carrier Z did a CAT I approach. This whole episode could've been done a lot safer. Through the whole thing though, we acted with good intentions. We were told we had 1800 ft RVR and happened we did, so we landed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DORNIER, DO328, BECAME UPSET WHEN TWR CTLR CHANGED THE RWY ASSIGNMENT, DUE TO WX RVR GOING BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS, WHILE INBOUND ON THE ILS AND THE RWY WAS IN SIGHT.

Narrative: WE WERE TRACKING THE RWY 24L LOC INBOUND WHEN THE VISIBILITY ON RWY 24R WENT DOWN. APCH PULLED US OFF AND TOLD US TO EXPECT RWY 6L. CAPT KEYED MIKE AND SAID 'BUT WE SEE THE ARPT.' CTLR EXPLAINED THE OFFICIAL WX. I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CAPT DIDN'T BELIEVE HIM. ON A DOWNWIND, THE CTLR ASKED AN ACR Y FLT IF THEY SAW THE ARPT. MY CAPT JUMPED IN AND SAID 'WE HAVE THE ARPT.' APCH ASKED ACR Y AGAIN. THEY ANSWERED. MY CAPT AGAIN CALLED THE ARPT. IT HAD BEEN RAINING SO IT WAS POSSIBLE WE WERE LOOKING THROUGH GND FOG. APCH CALLED THE RVR 1600 FT. TOO LOW. LATER HE CALLED IT 1800 FT. ACR Y, ACR Z, THEN US WENT IN. AT MINIMUMS 1800 FT APPEARED CORRECT. ON THE ROLLOUT WE ROLLED INTO HVY FOG. ACTUALLY, WE BEGAN TO GO INTO FOG WHILE IN THE FLARE (THERE WAS NOT MUCH OF A FLARE, I WAS TIRED AND THE LIGHTS WERE VERY BRIGHT DUE TO THE FOG, AN UGLY LNDG IN FACT). AS SOON AS WE CLRED THE RWY, I MEAN, NO MORE THAN 50 FT, WE COULD SEE HOWEVER, PROMPTED THE CAPT TO ASK FOR RWY 6L RVR'S. TWR REPLIED SOMETHING LIKE TOUCHDOWN 300 FT, MIDFIELD 8000 FT, ROTATION 1600 FT. I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY BUT IT WOULD HAVE MADE OUR APCH ILLEGAL. IN FACT I KNEW WE HAD THE VISUAL AT DECISION HT. FURTHERMORE, I DIDN'T CARE IF A CTLR IS TRYING TO HELP US GET HOME, I SHOULD BE TOLD ABOUT 300 FT. ANYWAY, I'M EXHAUSTED AS I WRITE THIS SO IT MAY NOT BE CORRECT, BUT I THINK HE MAY HAVE READ THE RWY 6L RVR'S IN REVERSE. THAT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE, AND AGREE WITH WHAT WE SAW ON THE ROLLOUT. THE CAPT THEN ASKED WHAT RWY 24L RVR WAS AND IT WAS BETTER THAN 6000 FT. THIS UPSET US. WHEN THE CAPT ASKED WHY WE COULDN'T USE THAT, TWR RESPONDED 'BECAUSE IF WE NEEDED CAT II' CAPABILITY. WELL, I KNOW ACR Y DIDN'T GO INBOUND UNTIL THEY HEARD 1800 FT RVR AND I THINK ACR Z DID A CAT I APCH. THIS WHOLE EPISODE COULD'VE BEEN DONE A LOT SAFER. THROUGH THE WHOLE THING THOUGH, WE ACTED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS. WE WERE TOLD WE HAD 1800 FT RVR AND HAPPENED WE DID, SO WE LANDED.

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.