B737 CREW TKOF WITHOUT SUFFICIENT VISIBILITY MINIMUMS AT ONT.

Narrative

ON JAN/FRI/03; I WAS THE FO (PNF) ON A FLT TO SAN JOSE. I RECEIVED THE CURRENT WX FROM ATIS (VISIBILITY 1/4 MI FOG). I CHKED THE ARPT CHART AND NOTICED WE HAD THE WX FOR DEP ON RWY 26R AND ONLY NEEDED 600 FT RVR FOR RWY 26L. AS WE TAXIED FOR TKOF; TWR ANNOUNCED NEW RVR (I THINK IT WAS 1000; 800; 1000). THERE WAS NO REACTION; AND I DIDN'T PRESS THE ISSUE. TWR ASKED IF WE NEEDED RWY 26L AND SINCE THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM THE CAPT; I REPLIED 'NO.' I WAS THINKING WE WERE LEGAL DOWN TO 600 RVR. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF AND CLBOUT BY THE CAPT; I REVIEWED THE ARPT CHART AND REACHED OUR ERROR. I THEN MENTIONED TO THE CAPT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED RWY 26L DUE TO THE LOW RVR. HE RESPONDED BY ASKING WHAT TWR HAD CALLED THE VISIBILITY! CONTRIBUTING FACTORS -- THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP WITH THIS CAPT AND WAS STILL LEARNING HIS IDIOSYNCRASIES AND HABIT PATTERNS. I HAVE ALREADY LEARNED THAT HE RELIES HEAVILY ON THE PNF FOR SUCH THINGS AS: REMEMBERING TO LOCK THE COCKPIT DOOR; USING THE COMPUTER FOR LNDG DATA (PNF'S DUTY); NAV USING THE CDU; BRIEFING THE SPECIAL PROC EVEN WHEN HE'S THE PF; AND RECOMMENDING THE TYPE OF APCH TO BE BRIEFED/FLOWN FOR THE ANTICIPATED WX. THE CAPT IS 6 MONTHS FROM RETIREMENT AND APPEARS PRE-OCCUPIED AT TIMES. IN RETROSPECT; I DON'T THINK HE EVEN CONSIDERED THE TKOF VISIBILITY (WAS NOT PART OF HIS DEP BRIEFING); REVIEWED THE ARPT CHART OR HEARD TWR'S VISIBILITY ANNOUNCEMENT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS -- SINCE I AM FLYING WITH THIS CAPT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MONTH; I WILL BE MORE FORCEFUL (BUT STILL USING GOOD CRM) AS THE PNF TO MAKE SURE HE'S AWARE OF CHANGES TO WX; CLRNC; ETC.