Go-Around Decision at Brooksville

Departing and landing at Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport (KBKV), Brooksville, FL — Runway 09, a 7,001 ft concrete runway. Elevation 76 ft MSL. This is a busy regional field with a part-time tower (0700–2200 local). You are in Class D airspace; the tower is active.

It is a warm Florida afternoon: OAT 26°C, wind 120° at 12 knots gusting to 18 knots. Runway 09 is oriented 090° true, so the wind is a crosswind from the right — roughly 8 knots of crosswind component, gusting to 14 knots. Visibility 10 SM, scattered clouds at 3,500 ft. Classic Florida afternoon conditions: warm, gusty, and challenging for precision approaches.

You are on short final to Runway 09, 200 ft AGL, descending at 65 KIAS (Vref — approach speed). The approach has been unstable: you were high and fast through the outer marker, corrected with a slip, and are now slightly low and slow on short final. The tower has not called 'go-around' — the runway is yours if you want it. The wind is gusting; the approach is marginal.

Aircraft: Cessna 172S, solo, within limits. Fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360-L2A, fixed-pitch prop, glass G1000 panel, fixed gear. Nothing was written up; the airplane is airworthy.

Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 250 hours total. You have 15 hours in the C172S. This is your third landing attempt today; the first two were go-arounds due to wind gusts and unstable approaches. You are fatigued and focused on getting this one down.

NTSB CEN25LA128 (2025): A Cessna 172S lost control during landing flare and the pilot initiated a go-around near a tree line at low altitude. The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the go-around resulted in an aerodynamic stall and terrain impact. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain airplane control and adequate airspeed during the go-around.

NTSB CEN23LA159 (2023): A Cessna 172S on final approach experienced a tailwind and the pilot attempted a go-around when landing appeared long. The aircraft porpoised, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft departed the runway. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the attempted go-around.

NTSB ERA21LA202 (2021): A Cessna 172S on short final in gusting crosswind conditions was high and slow; the pilot initiated a go-around but improper pitch control resulted in a tail strike and runway excursion to the left into grass. The probable cause was the pilot's improper pitch control during a go-around in gusting crosswind conditions.

NTSB CEN14CA322 (2014): A Cessna 172S being flown by a student pilot stalled and impacted terrain off the left side of the runway when the student applied excessive back pressure on the control yoke during a go-around after a bounced landing. The probable cause was the student pilot's use of excessive back pressure on the flight controls during the attempted go-around.

NTSB CEN13LA348 (2013): A Cessna 172S flown by a solo student pilot stalled during a go-around after a bounced landing at Grand Forks International Airport. The probable cause was the student pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during the go-around.

The common thread across all these accidents: improper pitch control during a go-around at low altitude. The pilots applied excessive back pressure, trying to climb or avoid a bounce, and induced a stall at an altitude too low for recovery. In the C172S, the stall speed in landing configuration (Vs0) is 40 KIAS; Vref (approach speed) is 65 KIAS. The margin is 25 knots. At 35–40 ft AGL with an airspeed approaching stall speed, there is no recovery altitude.

Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport (KBKV) is a busy regional field with a part-time tower and challenging wind conditions. The off-field environment around Runway 09 is open developed (parks/large lots), pasture/hay, and medium development — not water, but not ideal for a forced landing. The runway itself is 7,001 ft long — plenty of pavement. The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports — NOT at KBKV. The scenario is localized to KBKV to make the decision context real for you as a student here.

The consistent lesson: a go-around is not a failure — it is airmanship. An unstable approach, a bounce, a gust, or a crosswind that exceeds your comfort is a reason to go around, not a reason to force the landing. The runway will still be there. The second approach will be better. The stall at 35 ft AGL will not.