ACR MDT PIC MAKES 2 SUCCESSIVE; UNSUCCESSFUL APCHS PRIOR TO DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT. NON TWR ARPT. CTR ACTING AS APCH CTL FACILITY WITH LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT DURING APCHS.

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ON FLT FROM DCA TO SBY WE HAD SOME CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT AS TO THE OFFICIAL WX AT SBY. WE ATTEMPTED 2 ILS APCHS WITH MISSED APCHS TO FOLLOW A RETURN TO DCA. THE FOG BANK WAS COVERING THE FIELD FROM THE W LEAVING THE E SIDE AND APCH END OF RWY 32 OPEN. COMPANY FLT HAD LANDED PRIOR TO OUR APCH WITH NO TROUBLE. AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT CTR RELEASES YOU FOR THE APCH AND YOU'RE NO LONGER IN RADAR CONTACT. WE LATER REALIZED THAT THE WX CTR GAVE US HAD BEEN BELOW MINIMUMS AND WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE ATTEMPTED TO START THE APCHS UNTIL THE OBSERVER UPDATED THE WX. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE OF HOW QUICKLY THE FOG WAS MOVING AND LACK OF ATC COVERAGE OUT THERE. WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VMC CONDITIONS FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE APCHS; AND I FEEL WE IN NO WAY COMPROMISED THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. I KNOW THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN TO US AS WE WILL MAKE SURE IN THE FUTURE THAT WE HAVE THE OFFICIAL AND CURRENT WX BEFORE STARTING ANY APCH. I HAVE NOTIFIED PRO STANDARDS AT THE COMPANY AND OTHER PLTS SHALL BE MADE AWARE OF OUR MISTAKE; SO THEY WON'T MAKE THE SAME ERROR.