Narrative:

During cruise at 2800 ft MSL on a local flight into the dxr area, the turbulence seemed more severe than moderate. While tightening my seat belt and debating with myself (I was alone) whether I should cut the flight short and return to dxr, the sound of the engine seemed to suddenly diminish along with the sound of the relative wind. I checked the airspeed indicator and saw that I had lost 25 knots. After a few moments, the air speed returned to normal. Windshear, I concluded, probably gust induced. End of debate -- return to dxr. Runway 35 was active which meant a final between hills on either side of the approach that always led to unpredictable winds and a swamp area just before the fence that generally sucks the lift from wings. Because of the earlier encounter with shear, I altered the normal final approach configuration by keeping airspeed 25 knots or so above stall, just a single notch of flaps instead of full, and maintained 100-200 ft above the normal glide path. About halfway through final, I experienced another bout of windshear with the airspeed dropping to 60 knots with a minor loss of altitude. Fortunately, the precautions I took kept me out of trouble and the landing was uneventful, although 'hot.' however, if I hadn't had that first encounter at 2800 ft, I would not have been prepared and probably would have ended up in the swamp. Did I have a copilot that day?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT RPTS MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB WITH GUST NEAR DXR. HE TERMINATED HIS FLT, RETURNING TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE AT 2800 FT MSL ON A LOCAL FLT INTO THE DXR AREA, THE TURB SEEMED MORE SEVERE THAN MODERATE. WHILE TIGHTENING MY SEAT BELT AND DEBATING WITH MYSELF (I WAS ALONE) WHETHER I SHOULD CUT THE FLT SHORT AND RETURN TO DXR, THE SOUND OF THE ENG SEEMED TO SUDDENLY DIMINISH ALONG WITH THE SOUND OF THE RELATIVE WIND. I CHKED THE AIRSPD INDICATOR AND SAW THAT I HAD LOST 25 KNOTS. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, THE AIR SPD RETURNED TO NORMAL. WINDSHEAR, I CONCLUDED, PROBABLY GUST INDUCED. END OF DEBATE -- RETURN TO DXR. RWY 35 WAS ACTIVE WHICH MEANT A FINAL BETWEEN HILLS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE APCH THAT ALWAYS LED TO UNPREDICTABLE WINDS AND A SWAMP AREA JUST BEFORE THE FENCE THAT GENERALLY SUCKS THE LIFT FROM WINGS. BECAUSE OF THE EARLIER ENCOUNTER WITH SHEAR, I ALTERED THE NORMAL FINAL APCH CONFIGURATION BY KEEPING AIRSPD 25 KNOTS OR SO ABOVE STALL, JUST A SINGLE NOTCH OF FLAPS INSTEAD OF FULL, AND MAINTAINED 100-200 FT ABOVE THE NORMAL GLIDE PATH. ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH FINAL, I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER BOUT OF WINDSHEAR WITH THE AIRSPD DROPPING TO 60 KNOTS WITH A MINOR LOSS OF ALT. FORTUNATELY, THE PRECAUTIONS I TOOK KEPT ME OUT OF TROUBLE AND THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, ALTHOUGH 'HOT.' HOWEVER, IF I HADN'T HAD THAT FIRST ENCOUNTER AT 2800 FT, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PREPARED AND PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN THE SWAMP. DID I HAVE A COPLT THAT DAY?

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.