Sometimes I’m simply stupid …
Flew to the grass field at my company in the Czech Republic (LKRK, Rakovnik) in partly minimum VFR conditions yesterday. From my home field i have to pass a mountain range (Bavarian Forest) which is not high normally but somehow those mountains really grow when you try to cross in minimum VFR conditions. In strong haze I found the valley i use to cross when the weather is down., I did not chose to fly VFR on top this time because I had the feeling that it was a closed overcast at my destination with pretty low ceilings. Nevetheless the flight was uneventful, although it was already bumby at 9 a.m., and very, very hazy.
When I was ten miles out I called the tower, expecting nobody was there, because usually there’s nobody on Monday mornings. But it was a holiday in CZ and there was some activity. So when i made my blind transmission announcing my arrival via “runway 27 R”, the right one of the two grass runways, I got an answer: " Golf Romeo Charlie, runway in use is 09 ". I knew we had some wind from the west, so I called again: " Rakovnik, confirm runway 09"…. "Confirm.. runway is 09! " I thought it was strange because it was clear the wind was coming form the west, but then I thought: “Probably no wind down there, and they like to take off downhill, of course”.
Runway 09 L is fine, 750 meters, but it goes downhill and its also a bit bumpy, so i am always careful here. On short final I realized that I was pretty fast, although I was at my minimum 75 KIAS (for that weight)… and I had a quick glance at the PFD, that confirmed my suspicion …a groundspeed of 88-90… 13-15 knots of tailwind. But I continued and after touching down and racing down that hill I realized that it was maybe not the best idea I ever had. I stopped safely after 700 of the 750 meters, and that was without much braking, because I want to avoid a prop strike at all cost… But still, after I stopped, I asked myself: “why did i not go around?”. I have no idea.
My next call, while taxiing was: “Rakovnik, is landing with 14 knots tailwind how you do it here?” … Answer: “My weather display says it’s only 4 knots”. … “How about you have a look out your window”? …(the tall trees were really moving in the wind!) … Later the guy (after he had a look out the window) apologized for not letting me land uphill with a headwind, but of course it was my mistake too.
It was NOT helpful that the windsock was missing (I tried to see it on final but couldn’t find it!), … ,the storm they had the day before had ripped it off :-)
Confirms the old adage “let nobody decide the runway in use for you”. Applies to A/G, AFIS and TWR alike.
Also, when I know there is some wind at the destination, I want
either the man on the radio to give me the current wind
or
An overhead join with a good check of the windsock.
It’s at least the one or the other.
… yes, i do check the windsock. But i was missing! And normally there’s obody there and I decide myself. But. as i said, my own mistake …
Fair play to you for admitting it here.
It gives others a chance to learn from the mistake, and maybe someone else (perhaps me), remembering your story, will question the reason for the runway in use, or go around sooner.
Thank you!
To me this is one of the best things about EuroGA. People can relate their stories and learning experiences, and discuss them, without undue fear of criticism which puts many off posting in other places 
You were fortunate that with your avionics you knew exactly what the wind was all the way to the ground instead of relying on the “I am really fast” feeling. So you could choose to abort based on that readout. Others do not benefit from this information and need to rely on their experience of what the speed should feel like on final.
I did that once, on a post service flight with an A&P in the RHS.
We had just installed a new vertical stabiliser (hangar rash damage – another story) and this was to check all was fine so he could release it to service.
The wind changed as I was on final (that’s my excuse) and I was not listening to ATC giving me the figure, and it changed from a crosswind to a tailwind component of about 7kt. The landing was a mess and I flat spotted both tyres, right through the rubber. That was another £250 and a second job for him on the day. He must have thought I was a right cowboy!
I could really feel that my GS was high, the look to the PFD confirmed what I already knew. And 13-15 knots is a lot, especially downhill in a Cirrus.
When i later thought about it, i thought: “Wow. I KNEW that there was a wind of more then 10 knots from the west, I KNEW that the runway goes downhill and I was sceptical from the start when the TWR told me that 09 was in use”. Still I did what they told me, just like a sheep.
None the worse for having been stated before:
Fair play to you for admitting it here.
Thank you indeed! “Admitting” is a big word, though, as if though you had been positively guilty.
Well done for the story.
Yep been there, done that. A little like you its the pilot on the ground who tells you just landed 05, great I dont need to look to hard at the sock (if at all), hmm seems a little fast, end of the runway is approaching a bit quick, why did I ever listen to another pilot 
I guess you just learn it goes with the controller telling you line up (and you dont check the approach), and the other great one, with that amount of slope on the strip I find you are better off ignoring the tailwind / headwind. which you then proceed to do and realise what worked for one aircraft might not be such a good idea in another.
A lot of my flying is landing into lakes where there is nothing around but trees. The other thing about that, is that buggering it up there is going to be way more complex than flat spotted tires at the far end of the runway at a serviced airport. I use all the clues I can to avoid challenges associated with winds. Water, trees, and grass can tell you a lot! While flying through Sweden two weeks ago, I changed fuel stops, simply based on the winds I saw affecting the crops in the fields. A 17 knot direct crosswind is too much to take in the 182 amphibian, when there is an into the wind choice at a different airport. The controller there seemed surprised we wanted to land into the wind. He was not paying for tires, brakes, or the insurance deductible!
Thanks for the story, I find it is the things which make us pucker, which we remember, and relate well – and will help other pilots….
