Wind shear on short final to a grass strip causes pilot to reject the landing at low airspeed. Reduc...

Attributes
ACN	791845
Time
Date	200806
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1rl.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 80
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Windshear
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 210 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	791845
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : executed go around flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Airport
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

While on a stabilized short final approach to runway 16 at 1RL a change in wind direction from right crosswind to tailwind of approximately 20 KTS led to a destabilized confign with excess ground speed and inadequate airspeed for a normal landing. Floating in ground effect was encountered for 2-3 seconds. The aircraft porpoised twice at which point a go around was elected and full throttle applied immediately. This was approximately 1/2 the runway remaining distance at decision for go around. Inadequate climb performance was encountered with an IAS of 55 KIAS. Runway end obstructions of approximately 16 ft in ht were cleared at approximately 50 ft altitude and additional obstructing trees were encountered of approximately 80 ft ht were next encountered within 1-2 seconds. An incipient stall was noted and the nose pushed forward to gain airspeed. The aircraft contacted the tops of these trees with its fixed landing gear and leading edges of the wings and left horizontal stabilizer. A brief period of left yawing flight ensued with an altitude loss of around 30 ft. The aircraft transited the beach area and was at approximately 100 ft altitude when reaching the water's edge. Normal control forces and control characteristics were noted at this time and the aircraft was climbed to 500 ft. No engine stoppage or power loss was encountered. The aircraft was brought around and a normal soft field landing was accomplished. Human factors involved: inadequate assessment of possible changing sea-based winds and the decrement to aircraft performance with shearing tailwinds. Local factors such as runway; turf condition; and obstructions were not felt to be causative in this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WIND SHEAR ON SHORT FINAL TO A GRASS STRIP CAUSES PLT TO REJECT THE LNDG AT LOW AIRSPEED. REDUCED CLIMB PERFORMANCE RESULTS IN MOMENTARY CONTACT WITH TREES OFF THE END OF THE RWY.

Narrative: WHILE ON A STABILIZED SHORT FINAL APCH TO RWY 16 AT 1RL A CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION FROM R XWIND TO TAILWIND OF APPROX 20 KTS LED TO A DESTABILIZED CONFIGN WITH EXCESS GND SPD AND INADEQUATE AIRSPD FOR A NORMAL LNDG. FLOATING IN GND EFFECT WAS ENCOUNTERED FOR 2-3 SECONDS. THE ACFT PORPOISED TWICE AT WHICH POINT A GAR WAS ELECTED AND FULL THROTTLE APPLIED IMMEDIATELY. THIS WAS APPROX 1/2 THE RWY REMAINING DISTANCE AT DECISION FOR GAR. INADEQUATE CLB PERFORMANCE WAS ENCOUNTERED WITH AN IAS OF 55 KIAS. RWY END OBSTRUCTIONS OF APPROX 16 FT IN HT WERE CLRED AT APPROX 50 FT ALT AND ADDITIONAL OBSTRUCTING TREES WERE ENCOUNTERED OF APPROX 80 FT HT WERE NEXT ENCOUNTERED WITHIN 1-2 SECONDS. AN INCIPIENT STALL WAS NOTED AND THE NOSE PUSHED FORWARD TO GAIN AIRSPD. THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TOPS OF THESE TREES WITH ITS FIXED LNDG GEAR AND LEADING EDGES OF THE WINGS AND L HORIZ STABILIZER. A BRIEF PERIOD OF L YAWING FLT ENSUED WITH AN ALT LOSS OF AROUND 30 FT. THE ACFT TRANSITED THE BEACH AREA AND WAS AT APPROX 100 FT ALT WHEN REACHING THE WATER'S EDGE. NORMAL CTL FORCES AND CTL CHARACTERISTICS WERE NOTED AT THIS TIME AND THE ACFT WAS CLBED TO 500 FT. NO ENG STOPPAGE OR PWR LOSS WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT AROUND AND A NORMAL SOFT FIELD LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED. HUMAN FACTORS INVOLVED: INADEQUATE ASSESSMENT OF POSSIBLE CHANGING SEA-BASED WINDS AND THE DECREMENT TO ACFT PERFORMANCE WITH SHEARING TAILWINDS. LCL FACTORS SUCH AS RWY; TURF CONDITION; AND OBSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT FELT TO BE CAUSATIVE IN THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.

Wind shear on short final to a grass strip causes pilot to reject the landing at low airspeed. Reduced climb performance results in momentary contact with trees off the end of the runway.