With no alternate and only a non-precision approach, it seems that the only smart policy would be to not continue past the PNR unless it is a beautiful clear day. It appears that the temp and dew point spread were not far apart according to the weather reports.
In my opinion, deciding to hold for two hours when the weather has already started coming down and was now below minimums was not a good idea. Their decision to hold was based on an improving forecast but the forecasts for the day were already proven to be useless. They are very lucky that it didn't get really foggy. Actually, it did as it went from 1200m vis down to 200m vis in that time period. Any worse and they never would have made it in.
There is a time to play by the regulations and a time to bust them as was eventually done here but it really should have been done earlier when the ceiling was still 300' with 1200m vis with consistently deteriorating weather, daytime conditions in snow country which makes airport lighting almost useless and no alternate. It would have been fairly easy do get in two hours earlier.
Last edited by JammedStab; 23rd Mar 2015 at 11:32.