Wind shear sucks!

[lancie00]

I was on final at my private grass strip the other day feeling really good with my approach alignment and altitude, maybe a little slow but the engine was at an idle. I had a light quartering headwind but it wasn't bad. Then, just as I was on short final, the acreage blocked my headwind and that was it, I was going down. At least I was less than 10' off the ground but I was in full stall. No damage, just a rough landing and I took out about 10' of corn as I landed short. Probably the first time wind shear ever really surprised me and I didn't like it at all.
Things I learned:
1. Wind shear sucks.
2. Wind shear can happen REALLY fast
3. Unless I'm in a short-field landing situation, keep the speed up just a little.
4. Make my runway longer.

 

[tspear]

I was on final at my private grass strip the other day feeling really good with my approach alignment and altitude, maybe a little slow but the engine was at an idle. I had a light quartering headwind but it wasn't bad. Then, just as I was on short final, the acreage blocked my headwind and that was it, I was going down. At least I was less than 10' off the ground but I was in full stall. No damage, just a rough landing and I took out about 10' of corn as I landed short. Probably the first time wind shear ever really surprised me and I didn't like it at all.
Things I learned:
1. Wind shear sucks.
2. Wind shear can happen REALLY fast
3. Unless I'm in a short-field landing situation, keep the speed up just a little.
4. Make my runway longer.

The fourth option sounds like the best one.
Glad you and the plane came out ok. But yeah, if there is any potential mechanical blockages of the wind, I assume I will lose headwind.

Tim

 

[Stewartb]

Start dropping into strips cut into tall trees. Catching "sinkers" is common. It isn't that you were too slow as much as too flat. A steeper glide path will eliminate coming up short.

 

[Salty]

Sometimes it blows instead of sucking, so be careful.

 

[AU_James]

One approach to the place I usually end my flights comes over trees with a busy highway cut through them. With ANY wind at all, I know to expect some level of wind shear when I cross the highway on final. With more wind, I make sure I'm adding a few knots of airspeed. In my particular situation I have enough time after crossing the highway to adjust a bit and can still make a good short landing, but one scare is all it took to be very mindful of the shear possibility.

I'm sure you won't have the issue again since now you're VERY aware of the possibility! Glad everybody and everything is safe and able to go again!

 

[Caramon13]

KSRQ has a dirt mound right of runway 14 which can block the wind pretty good at just about the time you are ready to start rounding out. It's a surprise if you are corrected for a crosswind approach and even more of a surprise if you had a good wind from the southwest helping out.

I think the other runways are mostly clear from that, but 14 will definitely change things up.

 

[jordane93]

It's not fun at all.