Your worst X-wind experience?

[CrazyJ628]

My wife is not a fan of flying but she was a good sport and went along with me last summer. I was in a C172 and x-winds were about 10 knots. I decided I'd try to get a few touch and go's in before we did some sightseeing just for practice. On the second landing a gust hit while I was flaring and I nearly landed in the grass between the runway and the taxiway. I got the plane on the ground and did a little swerving to straighten out for takeoff and it freaked my wife out. She hasn't been flying since.

 

[Duck_Twacy]

Had a lesson with a student back in February in a DA-20. ASOS was reporting winds 13G21 about 70-80 degrees off the nose and it was supposed to hold steady (limitation in the Eclipse is 20). We climbed all the way to 7500' before we found smooth air. Winds were from 250-260, and our practice was to the west, so we reached this altitude about 6 miles from the airport, it was pretty cool.

Anyway, on the way back ASOS was reporting same direction, but gusts to 30. My student said I should land. I agreed. I remember looking across his end of the panel at the runway on final. I ended up landing somewhat across the runway just before the thousand foot markers. We stopped in about 200 feet, so short in fact that I discovered a taxiway that I hadn't noticed before

The part I was uncomfortable with afterward was the decision to go flying in conditions that flirted with limitations, and we got caught. I could have potentially sent the wrong message to my student.

Might have a new story after flying in this mess tomorrow...

 

[mikecweb]

KROC this past winter.
70 degree cross.
45G60 with snow squalls in the area.

 

[EnnisLynch]

As a student pilot my CFI took me to a field known for its X-wind to give me an endorsement with a X-wind limitation in a Cessna 172. The windsock was perpendicular to the runway and fully extended, I would guess a little more than 15 knots based on the buffeting and wind gusts. My instructor called it 10. It took three tries to get that sucker down in that wind so I got a limitation of 5 knots. I kept my mouth shut. To be honest I wouldn't attempt to land in that situation by myself even if he would have endorsed me to do so.

I took my Private Checkride with an 18 knot wind but it was nearly inline with the runway so no biggie.

 

[Boris Badenov]

45G58 70-80 degree in a 210 a few years ago. Embedded storms everywhere and had just missed two approaches. I was new, about to wet my diapers, and really wanted to be on the ground. Even after firmly planted, it hopped from one side of the runway to the other. Had trouble taxiing in because my leg was shaking so much.

It may not be #1, but it ranks high amongst things I wouldn't do again.

 

[mikecweb]

As a student pilot my CFI took me to a field known for its X-wind to give me an endorsement with a X-wind limitation in a Cessna 172. The windsock was perpendicular to the runway and fully extended, I would guess a little more than 15 knots based on the buffeting and wind gusts. My instructor called it 10. It took three tries to get that sucker down in that wind so I got a limitation of 5 knots. I kept my mouth shut. To be honest I wouldn't attempt to land in that situation by myself even if he would have endorsed me to do so.

I took my Private Checkride with an 18 knot wind but it was nearly inline with the runway so no biggie.

BCT?

 

[TurdBird]

BCT?

I gotch yo back on that one.

I have had some scary days going into BCT. Nothing like coming in over 95, still being on center line, avoiding the powerlines, catching a shot of FAU football practice, and getting that thing down.

 

[phoenix 23684]

Two come to mind, but I wouldn't label them as worst, just strongest. 24kts of the side on a 172 in CO and 31G37kts 90 degrees on the Saab 340. Is interesting in an airliner because your nose is pointed to the parallel runway on approach. But in the end if your instructor did a good job in teaching you crosswind landings then is all the same. My biggest problem learning was that I would not increase the pressure on the aileron and the plane would drift downwind on the roll out.

On a side not we were waiting for take-off out of LCH in the Saab and this poor gal in a 172 first cross country solo, trying to land with 10 kts of cross, she tried 3 times with real bad porposing and not putting her aileron into the wind. The controller finally talked her down, he did a great job and an aweasome landing by her, bet she was scared. The truck was out there just in case too. I couldn't imagine on my first solo having been put in that situation. The controller thought she was signed off too early.

 

[USAFplt]

we have pretty restrictive Xwind limits in the AF.. I've landed a dozen or so times at 21kts direct cross. It gets a little sporty, but the plane is actually lands better because the upwind bogey touches down first followed by the center and opposite side. On normal landings the center bogie always grabs first and will snatch your plane if you have any sorts of crab angle in at touchdown.

 

[Yank&BankmyRJ145]

Well in the EMB-145 landing in DFW. Left x-wind 28G42, Right at the max x-wind limit. I pressed the rudder to the floor and the nose still did not line up with the centerline. I asked for help or I will go around, the captain said no it's the last leg. We both were at the controls, we bounced 5 times then max reverse got off at the Z which is 11,000 feet down the runway.

I put in all 5 landings for currency!!:nana2:


In a C172 I landed in DAL with a 15knot x-wind and a 5 knot tail wind, I lined up on the right side ended the rollout about 20feet from the leftside. The hardest part was controlling the airplane while taxiing. I was flying the airplane while taxing. Takeoff, I heard the stall horn till about 100knots in ground effect climbed out at 120knots because the winds were so gusty. I do not recall the winds.


But with all the bad times, the top five smoothest landings I have had were during x-winds of between 10 to 25 knots. One of those were the passenger does not wake up till the engine turns off at the gate, type of landings. :nana2:

 

[mikecweb]

Well in the EMB-145 landing in DFW. Left x-wind 28G42, Right at the max x-wind limit. I pressed the rudder to the floor and the nose still did not line up with the centerline. I asked for help or I will go around, the captain said no it's the last leg. We both were at the controls, we bounced 5 times then max reverse got off at the Z which is 11,000 feet down the runway.

Did this bother anyone else other than me?

 

[ppragman]

Did this bother anyone else other than me?

Nope, that's pretty much wrong.

 

[JA Yawd Bwoy]

Nope, that's pretty much wrong.

It didn't bother you, yet its wrong?

 

[Baronpilot244]

20kt sustained direct crosswind with gusts to 30 going into CID and then 70 degree crosswind at 35G42 into BNA. Runway was 2R with the winds coming from 310 but runway 31 was closed. Nice thing about the Baron is being able to use differential power - really helps with the alignment!

BP244

 

[EnnisLynch]

BCT?

Nah, PHK. No traffic but since it seems all winds in Florida are from the East or West. Never landed at Boca.

I used to think training in Florida was a PITA for all of the relatively high wind days (for a Cessna at least) until my check ride was canceled in Wichita because of 40 knot winds.

 

[IPad (10)]

and i have done around 14kts in the champ (doesn't sound like much until you realize its max demo. is 7mph) the day with the champ was a beast because i almost had a wing strike too, maybe 6" away

One of the worst decisions I have made was to take a friend for a ride in the Champ on a windy day. I never really gave much concern to the wind, but as we were taxiing out the wind was literally pushing the right wing up making us taxi in a what felt like a 10* bank. Once I lifted off I immediatly knew I should not have gone flying that day. I came back around and fought it to the ground, just barely getting it. The winds were 060 at 21G30 when I called the AWOS at the nearest big airport after I landed. The runway at my house is 32/14. I should've just flown six miles to that big airport and landed on the runway with the wind going right down it. The important thing is I learned my lesson!

Alex.

 

[USMC-SSGT]

Ive had a few days like that alex teaching in the super D out of KBED where we found ourselves facing 20-30 knot winds on occasion. Fabric airplanes require close to 30 degrees wing down to hold the centerline on touchdown and it gets interesting.

I also made the mistake of taking my wife flying when I was a new tailwheel pilot out of Flabob in CA in a Citabria. She was timid on flying anyway and it was a big mistake. It was completely safe but as soon as we lifted off with full deflection we were in light turb and and crabbed 30 degrees to hold the runway.

Not my worst crosswind experience by far but from then on when I became a CFI my advice to my students was to not take loved ones flying until you have accumulated a few hundred hours and are able to make more educated decisions based on your experiences. And of course, early mornings and late nights.

 

[Matt13C]

Just had a fun time today. Winds were 290 12g24 landing runway 24. However, in the air they felt much stronger. Turned left downwind to base and it felt like I was crawling, longest base ever. Had a really nice crab angle in the whole way down, needed full right aileron and left rudder to kep it on center. Just as the right wheel touched down a gust came and picked me back up.

Certainly was challenging. I had not been out just flying around in a while, have been working on my IR, so my landings have been neglected. Flew the pattern a few times today in these conditions and it certainly helped. It also reminded me that landing is something that needs constant work, so when situations like this arise I am comfortable.

 

[drummerboy]

Well in the EMB-145 landing in DFW. Left x-wind 28G42, Right at the max x-wind limit. I pressed the rudder to the floor and the nose still did not line up with the centerline. I asked for help or I will go around, the captain said no it's the last leg. We both were at the controls, we bounced 5 times then max reverse got off at the Z which is 11,000 feet down the runway.

Everything about that is wrong. In my opinion there is no excuse to landing an airplane full of people like that. People are afraid of flying and stunts like that will just make them think about taking the bus next time. The occasional bounce in an airliner is fine it happens but bouncing 5 times and stopping 5000 feet farther than you should is just poor.

You two either should have realized the landing was to much for your ability or you should have gone around when you couldn't keep it in the center.

As I said there is no excuse for this at the 121 level.

 

[mikecweb]

That's what you get when revenue flights are also dual cross countries.
But the only person really at fault is the captain. No way no how should the excuse of "its the last leg" be used to press on when one member of the crew is uncomfortable with the situation at hand.