Down Draft / Wind Shear on Final

[RV6_flyer]

I consider myself an experienced pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours and over 1,600 Cross Country hours. I am a commercial rated pilot, built my RV, and have flown it over 16-year. I have over 2,700 RV hours.

Background: Airplane is RV-6, 160 HP, Constant Speed prop, VSO = 41 KTS, VX = 65 KTS, VY = 80 KTS
Normal pattern speed is 65 KTS, decent rate down final = 700 FPM

After a 2.6 hour cross country flight; I experienced an event that was a first for me after 32-years of flying.

ASOS reports Wind 200 @ 14 KTS with gusts to 23 KTS when 10 NM out.
Crossed over the airport and entered left pattern for landing on Runway 21. Update on the ASOS on the radio reports winds 19 with gusts to 29 KTS.

Flying a normal pattern (1,000 AGL TPA) and decent approach profile at a ¼ mile final and 300’ above the runway, I experienced a strong sink rate. Airspeed dropped to 60 KIAS and sink rate was 1,700 FPM. Full power was added and forward pressure used on the stick. The windshield is full of the hill / cliff at the approach end of the runway. Airspeed, Airspeed, Airspeed go through my mind. Full power slowed then arrested the sink rate but there was a slight delay as airspeed went up and I had a positive rate of climb. I am now over the numbers doing 80 KTS and 50 feet in the air. With lots of hours and experience in the airplane, I pulled power for landing. The runway is 3,898 feet long so the excess airspeed was judged not to be an issue. Power pulled to idle, airspeed reduced and a normal one small bounce 3-point tailwheel landing followed.

Shutting down the airplane, I am greeted by the airport fuel attended and welcomed to the airport. Telling him about my landing experience, he reported that the last three airplanes all did go abounds. One of the airplanes did three approaches before it landed.

When I get to the hotel, the landing event goes through my mind. I instinctively pushed forward on the stick when I wanted to go up. I knew that I needed airspeed to climb. Most people will pull back to go up. I was looking at flying straight into a hill or cliff but I needed airspeed. Pulling back would have decreased airspeed, put the aircraft on the backside of the power curve, and a possible stall may have occurred. Two-weeks earlier, my local EAA Chapter 45 had John G. Dye (no relation to Paul “Ironflight” Dye of NASA fame) of Bad Attitude, LLC give a talk about “Upset Recovery.” I remember him saying to start an upset recovery; they teach to Unload the aircraft.

I prefer to use my Superior Judgment to avoid situations that require the use of my Superior Pilot skills. I would like to think that I was required to use my Superior Pilot Skills in this situation. Looking back, I ask what could I have done different? Going around is first thing that comes to my mind. IF I were not so comfortable and familiar in the aircraft, I would have. I should have used higher approach airspeed to compensate for the head wind and the gust component.

Thought I would share this experience so that others may learn something.

[flightlogic]

I recall reading about some sink rate events here.... I will leave the names out.
Your instinct to PUSH... not PULL is one that will keep you alive. Good job !
Being physically fit is the other key. When your heart rate goes sky high... you want to get tied down, visit the facilities and go eat. A heart attack would spoil all of that...

[Toobuilder]

I think this is a perfect example of flying by feel instead of flying by rote. Your airplane speaks to you and you know what it needs without having to sort through logic first. This is what practice and intimacy with your airplane will get you.

[704CH]

Just curious, it looks like you said there was a hill/cliff on the approach end of the runway? Had you landed at this airport before? Which airport was it?

Airports like Catalina have warnings about this kind of thing happening when winds are high. I think somewhere I read that a longer landing helps to avoid this as the air doesn't start to sink until it goes over the cliff at the approach end. Maybe this would have been an option? RV's can have pretty steep decent angle on final, so if you had been aware of the situation, a high final and long landing might have helped ?

Thx

[craigvince]

Something similar happened to me back in 2009. My outcome wasn't as pretty, though. I was on short final, just crossed the fence at about 50 feet when I got hit by a windshear. That was the first (hopefully last) plane I ever destroyed. Thank God nobody was hurt, but it sure gave me a new respect for windshear.

[SHIPCHIEF]

I don't think you should beat yourself up about landing promtly.
I see it this way: Once you got thru the bad patch, and into the more protected air at the runway, you evaluated the situation and forged ahead.
Did you really want to go thru that final approach turbulence again?
Get-Down Itis can be a problem, but maybe your OODA loop runs fast enough.

[RV6_flyer]

Originally Posted by 704CH

Just curious, it looks like you said there was a hill/cliff on the approach end of the runway? Had you landed at this airport before? Which airport was it?

Airports like Catalina have warnings about this kind of thing happening when winds are high. I think somewhere I read that a longer landing helps to avoid this as the air doesn't start to sink until it goes over the cliff at the approach end. Maybe this would have been an option? RV's can have pretty steep decent angle on final, so if you had been aware of the situation, a high final and long landing might have helped ?

Thx

Borger, Texas. KBGD This is a typical RON stop for me when going coast to coast.

Have landed there maybe 20 times the past 16-years. 2nd time using RWY 21 and both were within last 30-days. Typically RWY 17 - 35 are what the winds favor.

[Neal@F14]

Any landing where the aircraft is still usable afterwards is always a *Great* landing!

I've got much fewer hours under my belt, but have experienced a few episodes of big sink on short final/flare before and the instinct to push the nose down and recover airspeed has saved my butt. Much better to be only a few feet AGL and still flying than... the... uh, alternative!

[Ironflight]

I'm not familiar with that runway Condor, but I would agree with you that I'd have kept a little higher approach speed to compensate for gusts, and planned to take it out once I had the runway made. The headwinds will give you more time over the runway to take it out, and you'll need a lot less pavement for your overall landing. Because of the effective extra length, I'd also shoot a steeper approach, or at least shifted my aim point away from the nasty cliff at the threshold - just because nasty cliffs and airplanes don't like each other. I don't ever give away runway length on take-off, but I'll land long when I know I have way more pavement than I need - if there is a reason.

[bruceg]

Our airport has a drop off on one end too. With 14G20 down the runway, a downdraft near the end is a certainty. A steeper than normal approach and a bit more speed is the way to go.
Thanks for the reminder.