ACR HVT LAND BELOW MINIMUMS. RPTR; SO; WAS DISTRACTED BY THE DEFERRED #4 FUEL TANK. FAILED TO BACKUP THE FLC. ARPT WAS VISIBLE AT 2 MI BUT THE RPTED WX WAS 250 METERS AND 550 METERS IS REQUIRED.

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I FLEW AS AN ENGINEER; ON A DC8 FROM CVG TO EGNX (EAST MIDLAND; ENGLAND). THE ACFT HAD A DEFERRED MAINT ITEM ON THE #4 FUEL TANK MAIN. THE MECHS SAID THEY FILLED THE TANK ACCORDING TO MCDONALD DOUGLAS RECOMMENDATIONS. AS WE FLEW TO EGNX; I NOTICED THE #4 IN 'INTERMEDIATE' PREMATURELY. IT STARTED TAKING FUEL AND I REALIZED THAT WE COULD BE 2500 LBS LESS THAN THOUGHT. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT EGNX; ATIS RPTED THE WX AT BETTER THAN 1500 METERS; BUT APCH CTL SAID THE RVR WAS 250 METERS. THE CAPT ELECTED TO FLY TO THE OM AND IF THE WX DIDN'T COME UP; WE WOULD MISS THE APCH AND PROCEED TO EBBR. THE OUTER TANK GAUGE NOW READ ZERO AND I WAS FACED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ENG SHUTTING DOWN. WE WERE A COUPLE OF MI FROM THE OM AND NOW COULD SEE THE ARPT APCH LIGHTS AND RWY LIGHTS. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED WITH NO INCIDENT. UPON TAXI; I SAID WE WERE LUCKY THE ARPT CAME UP. THEY INFORMED ME IT DIDN'T. THE RVR WAS STILL 250 METERS; WE NEEDED 550 METERS TO SHOOT THE APCH. I ALLOWED THE FUEL GAUGE PROB TO DIVERT MY ATTN AWAY FROM THE APCH; WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO HELP MONITOR AND BACKUP THE PLTS.