Narrative:

Inbound to bos we briefed the CAT I ILS to runway 4R. This was the first officer's leg, but because he was new on this airplane I indicated that if the visibility dropped, or if the ceiling prevented him from landing I would do a CAT III autoland. We set the da of 218 ft and noted that it was conditional depending on ships in the harbor during the approach tower reported tall ships, so we reset da of 359 ft. Arriving at this da we had no runway contact and executed a missed approach. I then briefed the CAT III and set the alert height (which wasn't shown as 'conditional')of 99 ft. We informed bos approach control that our next approach would be in automatic land configuration and they said they would pass this on to the tower. During the second approach tower again reported tall ships in the harbor. We autoland uneventfully. It was only later that I saw the small type note of the approach chart stating that the CAT ii/III approach was not to be used if tall ships were in the harbor. Factors involved in my missing this note include a relatively rushed briefing and night time lighting conditions. An ATIS message or announcement from approach control about the ships might have given us more time to select the proper approach and applicable minimums beforehand.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT CREW FLEW A CATEGORY III APCH TO RWY 4R AT BOS. CREW MISSED THE NOTE ON THE APCH PLATE PROHIBITING THE APCH WITH TALL SHIPS RPTED IN THE HARBOR.

Narrative: INBOUND TO BOS WE BRIEFED THE CAT I ILS TO RWY 4R. THIS WAS THE FO'S LEG, BUT BECAUSE HE WAS NEW ON THIS AIRPLANE I INDICATED THAT IF THE VISIBILITY DROPPED, OR IF THE CEILING PREVENTED HIM FROM LNDG I WOULD DO A CAT III AUTOLAND. WE SET THE DA OF 218 FT AND NOTED THAT IT WAS CONDITIONAL DEPENDING ON SHIPS IN THE HARBOR DURING THE APCH TWR RPTED TALL SHIPS, SO WE RESET DA OF 359 FT. ARRIVING AT THIS DA WE HAD NO RWY CONTACT AND EXECUTED A MISSED APCH. I THEN BRIEFED THE CAT III AND SET THE ALERT HEIGHT (WHICH WASN'T SHOWN AS 'CONDITIONAL')OF 99 FT. WE INFORMED BOS APCH CTL THAT OUR NEXT APCH WOULD BE IN AUTO LAND CONFIGURATION AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD PASS THIS ON TO THE TWR. DURING THE SECOND APCH TWR AGAIN RPTED TALL SHIPS IN THE HARBOR. WE AUTOLAND UNEVENTFULLY. IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT I SAW THE SMALL TYPE NOTE OF THE APCH CHART STATING THAT THE CAT II/III APCH WAS NOT TO BE USED IF TALL SHIPS WERE IN THE HARBOR. FACTORS INVOLVED IN MY MISSING THIS NOTE INCLUDE A RELATIVELY RUSHED BRIEFING AND NIGHT TIME LIGHTING CONDITIONS. AN ATIS MESSAGE OR ANNOUNCEMENT FROM APCH CTL ABOUT THE SHIPS MIGHT HAVE GIVEN US MORE TIME TO SELECT THE PROPER APCH AND APPLICABLE MINIMUMS BEFOREHAND.

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.