Narrative:

The initial ASOS, received reported 1/4 mi visibility and vertical visibility of 100 ft. The updated ATIS reported less than 1/4 mi visibility, 100 ft 'vv' and RVR for runway 22L at 1200 ft. I informed the captain of the change. I turned to the 'IFR lower than standard takeoff minimums' pages of our operations manual and started to review it. Then the weight and balance load manifest arrived from the ramp. I was about to hand my manual to the captain, so he could confirm the requirements, when I saw he had his manual open to the same page. So I put my book aside and proceeded to complete the weight and balance calculations. We closed the boarding door and left the gate on time. Before I called ground control, I queried the captain about the 'lower than standard takeoff minimums.' I was under the impression that we couldn't go yet because the regulation stated that we needed (cl) centerline lights when using runway 22L with 1200 ft RVR, which was controling over the less than 1/4 mi on runway 4R. The captain remarked that we could take off because we had to have HIRL (which lft had) or centerline lights (which lft didn't have). I deferred to the captain's decision because he had more experience with 'lower than standard takeoffs' and also because I had only skimmed the requirements page of the operations manual before going to my weight and balance paperwork. I thought that I had possibly misread the requirement and didn't want to delay the flight unnecessarily, as the captain was so sure of himself. At this point I didn't push the issue and thought that I just didn't understand the wording. I asked the captain if he would clarify the requirement at our destination, as he had mentioned not wanting to get behind in the schedule because of our 5 flight leg day. We took off and uneventfully proceeded to our destination. Once parked at the gate, the captain re-read the operations manual and informed me that I was correct about the requirement to have the visual aid of centerline lights. Also required was RVR equipment available with 1200 ft touchdown and 1000 ft rollout RVR. As first officer I should have had more confidence in what I read and requested that the captain review it with me before leaving the gate, not upon arrival at the destination. Good CRM would have eliminated our mistake had we had included the 'lower than standard takeoff minimum' requirements as part of the preflight briefing together.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF E135 DISAGREE AS TO LEGALITY OF TKOF FROM LFT WITH RVR OF 1200 FT AND NO CTRLINE LIGHTS AVAILABLE.

Narrative: THE INITIAL ASOS, RECEIVED RPTED 1/4 MI VISIBILITY AND VERT VISIBILITY OF 100 FT. THE UPDATED ATIS RPTED LESS THAN 1/4 MI VISIBILITY, 100 FT 'VV' AND RVR FOR RWY 22L AT 1200 FT. I INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE CHANGE. I TURNED TO THE 'IFR LOWER THAN STANDARD TKOF MINIMUMS' PAGES OF OUR OPS MANUAL AND STARTED TO REVIEW IT. THEN THE WT AND BAL LOAD MANIFEST ARRIVED FROM THE RAMP. I WAS ABOUT TO HAND MY MANUAL TO THE CAPT, SO HE COULD CONFIRM THE REQUIREMENTS, WHEN I SAW HE HAD HIS MANUAL OPEN TO THE SAME PAGE. SO I PUT MY BOOK ASIDE AND PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE THE WT AND BAL CALCULATIONS. WE CLOSED THE BOARDING DOOR AND LEFT THE GATE ON TIME. BEFORE I CALLED GND CTL, I QUERIED THE CAPT ABOUT THE 'LOWER THAN STANDARD TKOF MINIMUMS.' I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WE COULDN'T GO YET BECAUSE THE REG STATED THAT WE NEEDED (CL) CTRLINE LIGHTS WHEN USING RWY 22L WITH 1200 FT RVR, WHICH WAS CTLING OVER THE LESS THAN 1/4 MI ON RWY 4R. THE CAPT REMARKED THAT WE COULD TAKE OFF BECAUSE WE HAD TO HAVE HIRL (WHICH LFT HAD) OR CTRLINE LIGHTS (WHICH LFT DIDN'T HAVE). I DEFERRED TO THE CAPT'S DECISION BECAUSE HE HAD MORE EXPERIENCE WITH 'LOWER THAN STANDARD TKOFS' AND ALSO BECAUSE I HAD ONLY SKIMMED THE REQUIREMENTS PAGE OF THE OPS MANUAL BEFORE GOING TO MY WT AND BAL PAPERWORK. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD POSSIBLY MISREAD THE REQUIREMENT AND DIDN'T WANT TO DELAY THE FLT UNNECESSARILY, AS THE CAPT WAS SO SURE OF HIMSELF. AT THIS POINT I DIDN'T PUSH THE ISSUE AND THOUGHT THAT I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE WORDING. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WOULD CLARIFY THE REQUIREMENT AT OUR DEST, AS HE HAD MENTIONED NOT WANTING TO GET BEHIND IN THE SCHEDULE BECAUSE OF OUR 5 FLT LEG DAY. WE TOOK OFF AND UNEVENTFULLY PROCEEDED TO OUR DEST. ONCE PARKED AT THE GATE, THE CAPT RE-READ THE OPS MANUAL AND INFORMED ME THAT I WAS CORRECT ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE THE VISUAL AID OF CTRLINE LIGHTS. ALSO REQUIRED WAS RVR EQUIP AVAILABLE WITH 1200 FT TOUCHDOWN AND 1000 FT ROLLOUT RVR. AS FO I SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE CONFIDENCE IN WHAT I READ AND REQUESTED THAT THE CAPT REVIEW IT WITH ME BEFORE LEAVING THE GATE, NOT UPON ARR AT THE DEST. GOOD CRM WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED OUR MISTAKE HAD WE HAD INCLUDED THE 'LOWER THAN STANDARD TKOF MINIMUM' REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF THE PREFLT BRIEFING TOGETHER.

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.