The airport has only 3 approaches. Time 7pm (night)
LOC-D from the SE but not aligned directly with 27R and circling N/A at Night. Comes down over terrain and needs 1200’ AGL 1 1/2sm
GPS 9L from the west. LNAV/VNAV down to 1000’ AGL and needs 3 SM aligned with the runway
GPS 17 from the north. LP (not everyone can do an LP) or LNAV down to 1000’ AGL and needs 1 1/2, not aligned and a wet Rwy 17 is only 4300ft long…. Not the best choice.
At 280255z the metar was issued. Local reports say at top of the hour local visibility dropped to 1 sm
and some 500ft local ceilings in the vicinity
.
He requested cancel IFR and proceed visually but Flight Aware suggest he was at 1000ft then down to 700ft (400ft AGL) over the airport and in the turn to join downwind left hand 27R. Was the 500’ ceilings in his way? And someone lost sight of the runway when they asked the tower to increase runway lighting intensity… which was already at 100% on what is medium intensity lighting, no approach lights in any runway.
A very difficult objective…. Unfortunately