Narrative:

Flight to C81. As I was 45 mins before landing I tuned in the nearby airport dupage/dpa ATIS for the current winds. As I listened the information changed to a male voice giving the winds as 290 degrees at 4 KTS. Since this is what I expected as it was consistent with the winds as they were at departure. As I neared C81 I monitored CTAF and heard no traffic reports. I flew well north of the airport to the southwest for a 45 degree entry to downwind for runway 27. I announced on my 45 degree entry 5 mi southwest on the CTAF. As I neared the downwind turn I heard a pilot call campbell unicom on CTAF to announce that he was not getting '3 green' for landing and would do a low pass on runway 9 so the crew on the ground could visually check the gear. I thought it strange that they would fly east, but I continued my landing and reported my downwind, base and final turns. I noticed that the approach was slightly hurried but it didn't occur to me that it was out of the ordinary. I landed on runway 27 and found that I was landing a bit fast. I landed as long as I ever have on the 3000 ft runway 27 and exited at the far west taxiway. As I taxied back I noticed the windsock. It was showing a moderate wind, clearly at 090 degrees right down runway 9. I had landed with a tailwind. I did not cause a traffic conflict because the planes in the pattern for runway 9 delayed landing until I was clear of the opposite runway. I could have easily caused a problem especially with the plane that was having gear problems. I should have offered to circle until his problem was sorted out. If I had they may have advised, me of the wind direction. I have always checked nearby airports ATIS for my landing brief. The conditions at dpa, pwk, and ugn have always matched what I observed at campbell. The instructor told me if I had checked ugn I would have seen that the winds along the lake michigan shore were far different. Upon checking the history of the metar at dpa, I found that the automated report at the time I landed was indeed 290 degrees 6 KTS at XB53Z, and 010 degrees 5 KTS at XA53Z an hour before. It was 000 degrees 00 KTS at XC53Z. Obviously the winds were shifting. The windsock at campbell stubbornly stayed at 090 degrees for the hour or more before I left the airport. What I learned from this incident: I could have easily called campbell unicom on CTAF for an airport advisory as I was instructed by my CFI. I will do that at every opportunity in the future. I could have also overflown the airport to check the windsock. I'm glad the winds were light. In the future I will verify the conditions from at least two, preferably 3 different sources -- airport advisory, checking the windsock, and multiple nearby airport ATIS information broadcasts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PA28 FAILED TO PROPERLY INFORM HIMSELF OF THE WINDS AT C81 AND LANDED W IN OPPOSITION TO OTHER TFC AND WITH SIGNIFICANT WINDS FROM THE E.

Narrative: FLT TO C81. AS I WAS 45 MINS BEFORE LNDG I TUNED IN THE NEARBY ARPT DUPAGE/DPA ATIS FOR THE CURRENT WINDS. AS I LISTENED THE INFO CHANGED TO A MALE VOICE GIVING THE WINDS AS 290 DEGS AT 4 KTS. SINCE THIS IS WHAT I EXPECTED AS IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE WINDS AS THEY WERE AT DEP. AS I NEARED C81 I MONITORED CTAF AND HEARD NO TFC RPTS. I FLEW WELL N OF THE ARPT TO THE SW FOR A 45 DEG ENTRY TO DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27. I ANNOUNCED ON MY 45 DEG ENTRY 5 MI SW ON THE CTAF. AS I NEARED THE DOWNWIND TURN I HEARD A PLT CALL CAMPBELL UNICOM ON CTAF TO ANNOUNCE THAT HE WAS NOT GETTING '3 GREEN' FOR LNDG AND WOULD DO A LOW PASS ON RWY 9 SO THE CREW ON THE GND COULD VISUALLY CHK THE GEAR. I THOUGHT IT STRANGE THAT THEY WOULD FLY E, BUT I CONTINUED MY LNDG AND RPTED MY DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL TURNS. I NOTICED THAT THE APCH WAS SLIGHTLY HURRIED BUT IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME THAT IT WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY. I LANDED ON RWY 27 AND FOUND THAT I WAS LNDG A BIT FAST. I LANDED AS LONG AS I EVER HAVE ON THE 3000 FT RWY 27 AND EXITED AT THE FAR W TXWY. AS I TAXIED BACK I NOTICED THE WINDSOCK. IT WAS SHOWING A MODERATE WIND, CLRLY AT 090 DEGS RIGHT DOWN RWY 9. I HAD LANDED WITH A TAILWIND. I DID NOT CAUSE A TFC CONFLICT BECAUSE THE PLANES IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 9 DELAYED LNDG UNTIL I WAS CLR OF THE OPPOSITE RWY. I COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A PROB ESPECIALLY WITH THE PLANE THAT WAS HAVING GEAR PROBS. I SHOULD HAVE OFFERED TO CIRCLE UNTIL HIS PROB WAS SORTED OUT. IF I HAD THEY MAY HAVE ADVISED, ME OF THE WIND DIRECTION. I HAVE ALWAYS CHKED NEARBY ARPTS ATIS FOR MY LNDG BRIEF. THE CONDITIONS AT DPA, PWK, AND UGN HAVE ALWAYS MATCHED WHAT I OBSERVED AT CAMPBELL. THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD ME IF I HAD CHKED UGN I WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT THE WINDS ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE WERE FAR DIFFERENT. UPON CHKING THE HISTORY OF THE METAR AT DPA, I FOUND THAT THE AUTOMATED RPT AT THE TIME I LANDED WAS INDEED 290 DEGS 6 KTS AT XB53Z, AND 010 DEGS 5 KTS AT XA53Z AN HR BEFORE. IT WAS 000 DEGS 00 KTS AT XC53Z. OBVIOUSLY THE WINDS WERE SHIFTING. THE WINDSOCK AT CAMPBELL STUBBORNLY STAYED AT 090 DEGS FOR THE HR OR MORE BEFORE I LEFT THE ARPT. WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS INCIDENT: I COULD HAVE EASILY CALLED CAMPBELL UNICOM ON CTAF FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY AS I WAS INSTRUCTED BY MY CFI. I WILL DO THAT AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE. I COULD HAVE ALSO OVERFLOWN THE ARPT TO CHK THE WINDSOCK. I'M GLAD THE WINDS WERE LIGHT. IN THE FUTURE I WILL VERIFY THE CONDITIONS FROM AT LEAST TWO, PREFERABLY 3 DIFFERENT SOURCES -- ARPT ADVISORY, CHKING THE WINDSOCK, AND MULTIPLE NEARBY ARPT ATIS INFO BROADCASTS.

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.