Narrative:

My company is a part 135 carrier for an air carrier. WX at my destination was 5 mi below minimums for dispatch. The air carrier supervisor on ramp told me to dispatch anyway. I refused and refiled X times with FSS and changed my destination. My company's chief pilot/director of operations also told me to dispatch. Obtained WX for destination and filed. Felt extreme pressure to dispatch by my company and by the air carrier supervisor. New destination was above minimums and obtained clearance, picked up ATIS information, visibility 10 mi 9000 ft 25000 scattered. While getting taxi clearance, a fog rolled in on cargo ramp and severely limited visibility. On taxi, the taxi order was out of sequence and aircraft were taxiing out of order. I taxied behind 4 other aircraft at a very slow rate. On taxi out, I rechked ATIS and there was no change. The ground frequency was extremely congested, and aircraft kept stepping on each other so updated WX was never transmitted over ramp control frequency or ground frequency. I checked the ATIS for the third time with no update from information. I was changed to tower frequency where another freighter was on departure roll runway 35L. I missed tower's report of the RVR. I was told to hold short of runway 35L at taxiway M2. I was unable to taxi around another aircraft blocking my path. There was another departure RVR reported at 1800 ft at touchdown, 1400 ft RVR rollout. There was a landing with some RVR values reported. I was cleared to position and hold and then cleared for takeoff after the aircraft called clear of the runway. On my departure roll RVR was reported to aircraft holding as 1400 ft RVR touchdown and 1400 ft RVR rollout which is below the required 1800 RVR touchdown RVR required by company's operations specifications. Continued takeoff without incident. 3 factors I feel that led to this unintentional event: 1) pressure from not only my company but contractee, air carrier. 2) ATIS not updated in a span of 15 mins blockout to takeoff. 3) timeliness of RVR reports and frequency congestion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF BELOW REQUIRED MINIMUM VISIBILITY AT DEN, CO.

Narrative: MY COMPANY IS A PART 135 CARRIER FOR AN ACR. WX AT MY DEST WAS 5 MI BELOW MINIMUMS FOR DISPATCH. THE ACR SUPVR ON RAMP TOLD ME TO DISPATCH ANYWAY. I REFUSED AND REFILED X TIMES WITH FSS AND CHANGED MY DEST. MY COMPANY'S CHIEF PLT/DIRECTOR OF OPS ALSO TOLD ME TO DISPATCH. OBTAINED WX FOR DEST AND FILED. FELT EXTREME PRESSURE TO DISPATCH BY MY COMPANY AND BY THE ACR SUPVR. NEW DEST WAS ABOVE MINIMUMS AND OBTAINED CLRNC, PICKED UP ATIS INFO, VISIBILITY 10 MI 9000 FT 25000 SCATTERED. WHILE GETTING TAXI CLRNC, A FOG ROLLED IN ON CARGO RAMP AND SEVERELY LIMITED VISIBILITY. ON TAXI, THE TAXI ORDER WAS OUT OF SEQUENCE AND ACFT WERE TAXIING OUT OF ORDER. I TAXIED BEHIND 4 OTHER ACFT AT A VERY SLOW RATE. ON TAXI OUT, I RECHKED ATIS AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE. THE GND FREQ WAS EXTREMELY CONGESTED, AND ACFT KEPT STEPPING ON EACH OTHER SO UPDATED WX WAS NEVER XMITTED OVER RAMP CTL FREQ OR GND FREQ. I CHKED THE ATIS FOR THE THIRD TIME WITH NO UPDATE FROM INFO. I WAS CHANGED TO TWR FREQ WHERE ANOTHER FREIGHTER WAS ON DEP ROLL RWY 35L. I MISSED TWR'S RPT OF THE RVR. I WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 35L AT TXWY M2. I WAS UNABLE TO TAXI AROUND ANOTHER ACFT BLOCKING MY PATH. THERE WAS ANOTHER DEP RVR RPTED AT 1800 FT AT TOUCHDOWN, 1400 FT RVR ROLLOUT. THERE WAS A LNDG WITH SOME RVR VALUES RPTED. I WAS CLRED TO POS AND HOLD AND THEN CLRED FOR TKOF AFTER THE ACFT CALLED CLR OF THE RWY. ON MY DEP ROLL RVR WAS RPTED TO ACFT HOLDING AS 1400 FT RVR TOUCHDOWN AND 1400 FT RVR ROLLOUT WHICH IS BELOW THE REQUIRED 1800 RVR TOUCHDOWN RVR REQUIRED BY COMPANY'S OPS SPECS. CONTINUED TKOF WITHOUT INCIDENT. 3 FACTORS I FEEL THAT LED TO THIS UNINTENTIONAL EVENT: 1) PRESSURE FROM NOT ONLY MY COMPANY BUT CONTRACTEE, ACR. 2) ATIS NOT UPDATED IN A SPAN OF 15 MINS BLOCKOUT TO TKOF. 3) TIMELINESS OF RVR RPTS AND FREQ CONGESTION.

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.