SMT CARGO ACFT ARRIVING AT ARPT WITH AWOS VISIBILITY RPTED AS ONE QUARTER MI VISIBILITY. FLC STATES THE ARPT WAS VFR; MADE AN APCH; BUT ENCOUNTERED FOG AT 20 FT; CONTINUED APCH FOR CIRCLING TO ANOTHER RWY FOR LNDG.
Synopsis
SMT CARGO ACFT ARRIVING AT ARPT WITH AWOS VISIBILITY RPTED AS ONE QUARTER MI VISIBILITY. FLC STATES THE ARPT WAS VFR; MADE AN APCH; BUT ENCOUNTERED FOG AT 20 FT; CONTINUED APCH FOR CIRCLING TO ANOTHER RWY FOR LNDG.
Narrative
ZLC CLRED US TO 8000 FT AND HOLD AT SMITH LAKE NDB DUE TO A RPTED 1/4 MI VISIBILITY AT FCA BY AWOS. AT 9000 FT WE BROKE OUT IN THE CLR; THE ENTIRE VALLEY WAS VFR. ALL OF THE LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE AT FCA (WHITE; GREEN; BLUE; RED). PIC TOLD CTR THAT WE HAD ARPT IN SIGHT; WOULD LIKE TO CANCEL IFR TO VFR; TO GO TAKE A LOOK AND TO STANDBY IN CASE WE NEEDED TO FILE IFR TO ANOTHER LOCATION. WHEN REACHING APCH END OF RWY 2 THERE WAS A VERY LIGHT FOG; APPROX 20 FT HIGH. AT NO TIME DID I EVER LOSE CONTACT OF THE RWY PAVEMENT; LIGHTS; NUMBERS; CTRLINE; ETC. A LNDG COULD HAVE BEEN MADE. PIC OVERFLEW RWY AT APPROX 1/2 THE LENGTH; THERE WAS NO FOG. PIC CIRCLED BACK AND LANDED ON RWY 20 IN THE CLR. PIC RPTED TO CTR THAT AWOS WAS IN ERROR AND RPTED THE CONDITIONS AT FCA. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SIT WILL ALWAYS OCCUR WHEN THERE IS A MACHINE VERSUS MAN. WITH AWOS BEING IN ERROR IN THE PAST THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE WILL HAPPEN. I FEEL THAT SINCE PLTS ARE TRAINED WX OBSERVERS AND WHEN THERE ARE 2 PLTS TO CONFIRM THAT AWOS IS IN ERROR; THE PIC SHOULD HAVE THE LAST SAY.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.