Narrative:

The flight was conducted part 135. The PIC filed an IFR flight plan and checked WX at departure and destination. No WX brief was given to the sic. Nearing destination, ATC notified flight that it was not receiving WX information for destination. The PIC (also PNF) acknowledged transmission and said he would dial up the ASOS for the destination. No ASOS was received by the PIC (PNF), and the flight continued. The PIC (PNF) contacted the unicom and received WX from a person on the ground. The flight continued and landed safely with 700 ft ceiling and 2 mi visibility. After landing, PIC (PNF) confided with sic (PF) that no WX was listed for destination airport, and he was unable to get anything on the ASOS phone number. The PIC queried the local FBO about the status of the ASOS, and the attendant stated that it had been out for 3 days. No NOTAMS were on file about the ASOS being out. I usually query the captain about the WX, and most capts will brief me about the WX before we begin a flight. I should have asked about the WX when the captain didn't offer. I also should have queried the captain about the legality of continuing the flight. I am a junior sic, and the captain is a senior captain and training captain. It had been approximately 6 weeks since the last time I flew in the left seat, and 4 weeks prior to that time. If I would have known we were expecting serious IFR, I would have asked him (captain) to fly that leg, because of my lack of experience and familiarity in the left seat. There were 2 times during the flight where I had opportunities to query about continuing the flight, but failed to because all of my attention was focused on flying the airplane. If I would have asked for a WX brief, like I should have, before the flight, I would have said 'we can't go, because we don't know the WX' or at least have agreed to fly to the destination and see if we could pick up ASOS. Because of my failure to ask, and the captain's failure to supply me with the information he had, I was completely left out of the loop. The smart thing would have been to ask about the WX before we left, and when discovered that WX was not available and the ASOS not notamed, attempted to contact the airport operator and local FBO to query about the status of the ASOS. Standard operating procedure for our company is that the captain/PIC does the WX, weight and balance, file flight plan, and fill out the flight log. The first officer/sic's responsibility is to preflight the aircraft, make ready refreshments, and pull the aircraft out of the hangar. I strongly feel the captain purposely kept me in the dark about the situation, because he knew I would not have gone on the flight had he told me. I have learned I need to be: 1) more assertive on receiving WX briefings 2) more aware of the circumstances as the flight progresses 3) more assertive on stating when I don't feel comfortable with any course of action being taken. The captain checked later that same day, and the ASOS was notamed out. The lady at the FBO called the great falls FSS, and the FSS said they had not been notified of the ASOS being out-of-service.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF BE20, OPERATING UNDER FAR PART 135, FLEW INST APCH TO DLN WITHOUT OBTAINING REQUIRED WX INFO. PIC, PNF, AND A COMPANY TRAINING CAPT, FAILED TO BRIEF SIC, PF, AS TO HIS INABILITY TO OBTAIN APPROPRIATE WX.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED PART 135. THE PIC FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND CHKED WX AT DEP AND DEST. NO WX BRIEF WAS GIVEN TO THE SIC. NEARING DEST, ATC NOTIFIED FLT THAT IT WAS NOT RECEIVING WX INFO FOR DEST. THE PIC (ALSO PNF) ACKNOWLEDGED XMISSION AND SAID HE WOULD DIAL UP THE ASOS FOR THE DEST. NO ASOS WAS RECEIVED BY THE PIC (PNF), AND THE FLT CONTINUED. THE PIC (PNF) CONTACTED THE UNICOM AND RECEIVED WX FROM A PERSON ON THE GND. THE FLT CONTINUED AND LANDED SAFELY WITH 700 FT CEILING AND 2 MI VISIBILITY. AFTER LNDG, PIC (PNF) CONFIDED WITH SIC (PF) THAT NO WX WAS LISTED FOR DEST ARPT, AND HE WAS UNABLE TO GET ANYTHING ON THE ASOS PHONE NUMBER. THE PIC QUERIED THE LCL FBO ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE ASOS, AND THE ATTENDANT STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN OUT FOR 3 DAYS. NO NOTAMS WERE ON FILE ABOUT THE ASOS BEING OUT. I USUALLY QUERY THE CAPT ABOUT THE WX, AND MOST CAPTS WILL BRIEF ME ABOUT THE WX BEFORE WE BEGIN A FLT. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED ABOUT THE WX WHEN THE CAPT DIDN'T OFFER. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THE CAPT ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF CONTINUING THE FLT. I AM A JUNIOR SIC, AND THE CAPT IS A SENIOR CAPT AND TRAINING CAPT. IT HAD BEEN APPROX 6 WKS SINCE THE LAST TIME I FLEW IN THE L SEAT, AND 4 WKS PRIOR TO THAT TIME. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN WE WERE EXPECTING SERIOUS IFR, I WOULD HAVE ASKED HIM (CAPT) TO FLY THAT LEG, BECAUSE OF MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND FAMILIARITY IN THE L SEAT. THERE WERE 2 TIMES DURING THE FLT WHERE I HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO QUERY ABOUT CONTINUING THE FLT, BUT FAILED TO BECAUSE ALL OF MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE. IF I WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A WX BRIEF, LIKE I SHOULD HAVE, BEFORE THE FLT, I WOULD HAVE SAID 'WE CAN'T GO, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE WX' OR AT LEAST HAVE AGREED TO FLY TO THE DEST AND SEE IF WE COULD PICK UP ASOS. BECAUSE OF MY FAILURE TO ASK, AND THE CAPT'S FAILURE TO SUPPLY ME WITH THE INFO HE HAD, I WAS COMPLETELY LEFT OUT OF THE LOOP. THE SMART THING WOULD HAVE BEEN TO ASK ABOUT THE WX BEFORE WE LEFT, AND WHEN DISCOVERED THAT WX WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THE ASOS NOT NOTAMED, ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE ARPT OPERATOR AND LCL FBO TO QUERY ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE ASOS. STANDARD OPERATING PROC FOR OUR COMPANY IS THAT THE CAPT/PIC DOES THE WX, WT AND BAL, FILE FLT PLAN, AND FILL OUT THE FLT LOG. THE FO/SIC'S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PREFLT THE ACFT, MAKE READY REFRESHMENTS, AND PULL THE ACFT OUT OF THE HANGAR. I STRONGLY FEEL THE CAPT PURPOSELY KEPT ME IN THE DARK ABOUT THE SIT, BECAUSE HE KNEW I WOULD NOT HAVE GONE ON THE FLT HAD HE TOLD ME. I HAVE LEARNED I NEED TO BE: 1) MORE ASSERTIVE ON RECEIVING WX BRIEFINGS 2) MORE AWARE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES AS THE FLT PROGRESSES 3) MORE ASSERTIVE ON STATING WHEN I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH ANY COURSE OF ACTION BEING TAKEN. THE CAPT CHKED LATER THAT SAME DAY, AND THE ASOS WAS NOTAMED OUT. THE LADY AT THE FBO CALLED THE GREAT FALLS FSS, AND THE FSS SAID THEY HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE ASOS BEING OUT-OF-SVC.

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.