Narrative:

On the evening of mar/fri/98, I was returning to laf in a beech 400A. Our touchdown at the purdue airport was at XA38 EST. Prior to our arrival at laf the copilot listened to ATIS at ind to get an idea of what the wind was doing in the area. He thought it was from 170 degrees. We both thought that the ZAU controller gave us the latest laf wind as 160 degrees at 8 KTS. We landed without a problem but I thought that we used more runway than we should have given the wind. After getting out of the airplane I could see the windsock on the rotating beacon (difficult from the air) and the american flag in front of the terminal building. Both were showing the wind from approximately 250 degrees at 15-20 KTS. We had made a downwind landing. While the landing was executed with no complications, obviously this is not a satisfactory situation. Since we have ASOS at laf and an ATIS frequency that is available when the tower is shut down, I am requesting that the ASOS be transmitted over the ATIS frequency when the tower is not operating and this be done as soon as possible. It is interesting that the government approach plate for laf states that ASOS is on 127.75. It isn't. Another addition which would help determine the wind during night operations would be to have lighted windsocks at the approach end of runway 10 (and runway 5). I believe these items would significantly enhance safety at the purdue airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH 400A ACFT LANDED DOWNWIND AT UNCTLED ARPT. THE LATEST WIND RPTS INDICATED DIFFERENTLY THAN DURING LNDG. RPTR CAPT SUGGESTS XMITTING ASOS OVER ATIS FREQ WHEN TWR IS NOT MANNED.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF MAR/FRI/98, I WAS RETURNING TO LAF IN A BEECH 400A. OUR TOUCHDOWN AT THE PURDUE ARPT WAS AT XA38 EST. PRIOR TO OUR ARR AT LAF THE COPLT LISTENED TO ATIS AT IND TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THE WIND WAS DOING IN THE AREA. HE THOUGHT IT WAS FROM 170 DEGS. WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT THE ZAU CTLR GAVE US THE LATEST LAF WIND AS 160 DEGS AT 8 KTS. WE LANDED WITHOUT A PROB BUT I THOUGHT THAT WE USED MORE RWY THAN WE SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THE WIND. AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE I COULD SEE THE WINDSOCK ON THE ROTATING BEACON (DIFFICULT FROM THE AIR) AND THE AMERICAN FLAG IN FRONT OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING. BOTH WERE SHOWING THE WIND FROM APPROX 250 DEGS AT 15-20 KTS. WE HAD MADE A DOWNWIND LNDG. WHILE THE LNDG WAS EXECUTED WITH NO COMPLICATIONS, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT A SATISFACTORY SIT. SINCE WE HAVE ASOS AT LAF AND AN ATIS FREQ THAT IS AVAILABLE WHEN THE TWR IS SHUT DOWN, I AM REQUESTING THAT THE ASOS BE XMITTED OVER THE ATIS FREQ WHEN THE TWR IS NOT OPERATING AND THIS BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE GOV APCH PLATE FOR LAF STATES THAT ASOS IS ON 127.75. IT ISN'T. ANOTHER ADDITION WHICH WOULD HELP DETERMINE THE WIND DURING NIGHT OPS WOULD BE TO HAVE LIGHTED WINDSOCKS AT THE APCH END OF RWY 10 (AND RWY 5). I BELIEVE THESE ITEMS WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE SAFETY AT THE PURDUE ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.