Float and Climb at Brooksville
A balked landing, improper flap configuration, and a stall at 300 feet — the Cirrus SR22's high energy state turns a recoverable mistake into a critical emergency
The scenario
Departing Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport (KBKV), Brooksville, FL — Runway 09, on approach to land after a 1.5-hour local flight. Elevation 76 ft MSL. The runway is 7,001 ft of concrete, aligned 090° magnetic.
It is a warm Florida afternoon in late July: OAT 32°C, dew point 24°C, altimeter 29.89, density altitude approximately 1,800 ft. Light and variable winds, 3–5 kt. Visibility 10 SM, scattered clouds at 3,500 ft. The field is VFR, but the heat and humidity have raised the density altitude significantly — the airplane will perform as if it were at 1,800 ft elevation, not 76 ft.
You are on a 3-mile final approach to Runway 09, descending through 600 ft AGL at 90 KIAS, full flaps (50°), power at 1,500 RPM. The runway is made. You are stable and on glide path. Then, as you transition to the flare at 50 ft AGL, the airplane floats — it does not want to touch down. You are drifting down the runway, losing lift, but not settling. At 30 ft AGL, you are still floating, now 1,200 ft down the 7,001 ft runway. You have plenty of runway left, but the float is unexpected and you are uncomfortable.
Aircraft: Cirrus SR22, solo, within weight and balance, fuel adequate. Constant-speed prop, fuel-injected Continental IO-550-N, 310 hp. Glass Perspective panel. Fixed gear. The airplane is airworthy; nothing was written up.
Pilot: you — a Commercial pilot, 800 hours total, 200 hours in type (SR22). You are current and proficient. You have not flown this airplane in high density altitude conditions before. The float surprised you. You are now at 30 ft AGL, still floating, and you need to make a decision: land or go around.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KBKV · Brooksville–Tampa Bay'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '3/21 · 9/27'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '76 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'SR22'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Cruise'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about the SR22's landing characteristics and go-around procedures? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB WPR11LA169 (2011): A Cirrus SR22 on return to its home base at Falcon Field (Arizona) encountered excessive float during landing flare. The pilot aborted the landing and retracted flaps to climb out, but the aircraft stalled at low altitude and lost control. The airplane struck the runway, veered left, and collided with a parked Cessna 172. The probable cause was the pilot's attempt to correct a landing float by adding power, followed by his premature attempt to climb the airplane out of ground effect at insufficient airspeed, with improper flap configuration during the balked landing attempt. The stall occurred at approximately 300 feet AGL.
NTSB WPR20FA019 (2019, FATAL): A Cirrus SR22 stalled during landing approach while maneuvering in the traffic pattern at low airspeed and descended into a residential area. The accident was attributed to the pilot's exceedance of the critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing. The stall occurred at low altitude with insufficient time to recover.
NTSB CEN18FA204 (2018, FATAL): A Cirrus SR22 on a personal flight stalled during initial climb at 200 feet and entered an uncontrollable descent, impacting terrain. Contributing factors included high density altitude and the student pilot's limited experience. The stall occurred immediately after takeoff in a high-density-altitude environment.
NTSB ATL06LA035 (2006): A Cirrus SR22 on a business flight encountered icing conditions while climbing to 9,000 feet in an area where the aircraft was not certified to operate. The accident resulted from inadequate preflight planning, failure to obtain current weather information, and continued flight into known icing conditions, leading to ice accumulation, airspeed decay, stall, and spin.
The consistent thread across all these accidents: the SR22's high wing loading, constant-speed prop, and high energy state make it unforgiving of low-altitude stalls. The float in the flare is a characteristic of the airplane in high density altitude — it is not a sign of a problem, it is a sign of the airplane's performance envelope. The critical error is the response: retracting flaps all at once at low airspeed, pitching up to slow the descent, or attempting to climb out of ground effect without adequate airspeed. All of these lead to a stall at 300–500 feet AGL, where recovery is impossible.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other contexts — NOT at Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport. However, KBKV's dominant accident pattern includes HARD_LANDING (26.9%), FORCED_LANDING (11.5%), and RUNWAY_EXCURSION (11.5%) — the field has its own safety challenges. The scenario is localized to KBKV to make the off-field environment and the high density altitude real and consequential for you as a student here.
The lesson: high density altitude increases true airspeed for a given indicated airspeed and lengthens landing distance. The float is expected. Accept it, land with plenty of runway remaining, or go around with a gradual flap retraction. Do not retract flaps all at once at low airspeed. Do not pitch up to slow the descent. Do not attempt to climb out of ground effect without adequate airspeed. The SR22's CAPS parachute is the primary recovery tool for unrecoverable loss of control — not a go-around aid.
Key lesson — In high density altitude conditions, the SR22 floats in the flare — this is normal. Accept the float and land with plenty of runway, or go around with a gradual flap retraction. Never retract all flaps at once at low airspeed; never pitch up to slow the descent at 30 feet AGL. A stall at 300 feet is unrecoverable. The CAPS parachute is for unrecoverable loss of control, not for landing emergencies.
Debrief — teaching points
High density altitude causes the SR22 to float in the flare — this is expected, not a problem.
The SR22's high wing loading and constant-speed prop mean it wants to stay airborne in high density altitude. At KBKV on a warm July afternoon with OAT 32°C and dew point 24°C, the density altitude is approximately 1,800 ft. The airplane performs as if it were at 1,800 ft elevation, not 76 ft. A float of 1,000–1,500 ft down a 7,001 ft runway is normal and expected. Accept it. Land with plenty of runway remaining. Do not try to force the airplane down or go around in a panic.
On a go-around, retract flaps gradually — never all at once at low airspeed.
The SR22 POH is explicit: retract flaps gradually during a go-around. Reduce flaps from 50% to 25% first, then to 0%, as airspeed increases above stall speed (59 KIAS in landing configuration). Retracting all flaps at once at 30 feet AGL and 85–90 KIAS causes a sudden loss of lift, a pitch-down, and airspeed decay. At 30 feet AGL, you do not have altitude to recover from a stall. Gradual flap retraction keeps the airplane flying while you climb.
Stall speed in landing configuration (full flaps) is 59 KIAS — any maneuver below this speed risks a stall.
The SR22's stall speed in landing configuration is 59 KIAS (Vs0). On approach and go-around, maintain airspeed above this limit. A slip at 70 KIAS, a pitch-up at 75 KIAS, or a steep bank at 80 KIAS can all exceed the critical angle of attack and cause a stall. At 30 feet AGL, a stall is unrecoverable. Maintain adequate airspeed and avoid aggressive maneuvering near the ground.
Do not pitch up to slow the descent at low altitude — accept the descent and land.
The instinct to pitch up and slow the descent at 30 feet AGL is dangerous. Pitching up at low airspeed causes a stall. Instead, lower the nose slightly to maintain airspeed, reduce power to idle, and let the airplane settle. If you are uncomfortable with the approach, go around early — at 200 feet AGL, not 30 feet. A go-around at 200 feet is safe; a go-around at 30 feet is marginal.
CAPS is for unrecoverable loss of control and unrecoverable spin — not for landing emergencies.
The Cirrus CAPS parachute is the primary recovery tool for unrecoverable loss of control, unrecoverable spin, and engine failure without a safe landing option. It is NOT a go-around aid or a landing aid. Deploying CAPS at 25 feet AGL results in a high-descent-rate impact (approximately 1,200 ft/min). The parachute is designed for a controlled descent from altitude, not for landing. If you are in a stall at 30 feet AGL, CAPS may be your only option — but it is a last resort, not a primary tool.
Recognize an unstable approach early and go around — do not try to salvage a bad approach at low altitude.
An unstable approach is one where you are not on glide path, not at the correct airspeed, or not in the correct configuration. A float at 30 feet AGL is a sign of an unstable approach. Go around early, climb to a safe altitude, and set up for another approach. A go-around at 200 feet AGL is safe and correct. Trying to salvage a bad approach at 30 feet AGL is dangerous and often leads to a stall.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB WPR11LA169 (2011 SR22 stall during balked landing, improper flap retraction), WPR20FA019 (2019 SR22 stall during landing approach, critical angle of attack exceeded), CEN18FA204 (2018 SR22 stall during initial climb, high density altitude), and ATL06LA035 (2006 SR22 icing/stall). Anonymized and localized to KBKV.
NTSB reports: WPR11LA169 · WPR20FA019 · CEN18FA204 · ATL06LA035
ACS tasks: PA.VIII.C — Approach and Landing · PA.VIII.D — Go-Around / Rejected Landing · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.II.A — Preflight Assessment
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.9
Step through the full decision tree, make the calls, and see where each choice leads — then debrief it with your CFI.
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