What happened
On February 10, 2015, a Mooney M20T was conducting a flight from EYKA to EPBC. Due to the inability to land at the intended destination, the crew diverted to the alternate airport, EPMO. During the diversion, weather conditions at EPMO were deteriorating, specifically regarding runway visibility and cloud base heights. The air traffic controller informed the crew that the runway visibility in running RVR was between 350m and 550m, with a cloud base of 200ft, and subsequently announced the implementation of CAT II landing operations for runway 08.
The pilot decided to attempt an approach based on CAT I minimums (RVR 550m, 200ft cloud base). The pilot's intent was to continue the approach and land only if visual contact with the terrain or navigational lights was established. During the final approach, the pilot reported seeing approach lights at 300ft and the runway threshold at 200ft, subsequently deciding to land. However, the landing was completed while the RVR was 500m, which was below the required minimums for the active CAT II operations.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation examined the pilot's decision-making process and the operational requirements of the flight. The investigation established that neither the aircraft nor the crew were subject to requirements related to AOC or AWC certification. The investigation also reviewed the communications provided by the air traffic controller regarding the changing weather conditions and the transition to CAT II procedures.