Strictly speaking what he did was perhaps within the realm of the approach ban ….. you see according to the approach ban you can commence the approach regardless of the reported VIS/RVR . Passing 1000 ft AAL (or in the final approach segment if the minima are above 1000 ft AAL ) , if the reported RVR is below minimum then you ought to execute a missed approach . ( and to complete the whole concept , after passing the 1000 ft AAL mark , if reported RVR/VIS is below minima , you can continue the approach to the minima ) . In the story above if the reported RVR was given before 1000 ft AAL , he could continue down to the 1000 ft AAL mark . The second RVR report which was given after the pilot requested it , could have been at the 1000 ft AAL mark .
I’m well aware of the above. In this case the aircraft was nowhere near starting the approach. I think it was more a case of them being told what the RVRs were and then saying they could make an approach before actually checking what their minima were. Shortly afterwards, they asked for the RVRs again, were told the same numbers again, but this time they said they couldn’t start an approach. They were nowhere near 1000’.