Go-Around at Low Altitude
Carburetor ice, partial power loss, and an uncoordinated turn — the stall/spin trap at low altitude
The scenario
Departing St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport (KPIE), Pinellas Park, FL — Runway 18, a 9,730 ft concrete runway. Elevation 11 ft MSL. You are on approach to land after a local flight.
It is a hazy Florida afternoon in late spring: OAT 28°C, dew point 22°C, altimeter 29.92. Scattered clouds at 2,500 ft, light rain shower two miles to the northeast. Visibility 8 SM. Classic Gulf Coast conditions — warm, moist, and exactly the environment the FAA icing probability chart marks as 'serious icing at glide power, moderate icing at cruise power.'
You are on final approach to Runway 18, 400 ft AGL, descending at 70 KIAS (Vref initial), flaps 20°. The engine is running smoothly. Tower clears you to land. At 300 ft AGL, you lower flaps to 40° and reduce power for the descent. The engine begins to run rough. Power is noticeably down — the tachometer is dropping. You are committed to the landing, but the engine is sick.
Aircraft: Piper PA-28-161 Warrior, solo, full fuel, within limits. Carbureted Lycoming O-320-D, fixed-pitch prop, steam panel, fuel selector on RIGHT tank. Nothing was written up; the airplane was airworthy at departure.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 200 hours total. You did not apply carburetor heat during the approach because the engine ran smoothly until you lowered flaps. You did not apply it after the roughness began because you were focused on the landing.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KPIE · St. Petersburg Clearwater'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '4/22 · 18/36'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '11 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28-161'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Takeoff / Landing'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about carburetor ice and stall/spin risk in the PA-28-161 Warrior? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB LAX03LA238 (2003): A Piper PA-28-161 encountered carburetor ice during initial climb from Torrance. The engine lost power. During a go-around attempt, the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in a stall and collision with power lines and terrain. The probable cause was carburetor icing and the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat and maintain airspeed during the go-around.
NTSB CHI05LA226 (2005, FATAL): A Piper PA-28-161 on an instructional flight from Culver, Indiana, lost engine power due to left magneto failure during initial climb after takeoff. The flight instructor failed to maintain airspeed, and the airplane stalled. The probable cause was partial magneto failure caused by improper maintenance, with contributing factors including the instructor's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid a stall.
NTSB CEN12FA188 (2012, FATAL): A Piper PA-28-161 stalled during takeoff from a soft grass airstrip with a quartering tailwind and struck trees at the departure end. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent collision with trees.
The common thread across all three accidents: a stall at low altitude in the PA-28-161, resulting from either (1) partial power loss due to carburetor ice or magneto failure, combined with (2) the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed or apply corrective action (carburetor heat, go-around procedures). In each case, the stall occurred at an altitude where recovery was impossible.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in different circumstances — NOT at KPIE. KPIE has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns: LOSS_OF_CONTROL_INFLIGHT 21.2%, STALL_SPIN 12.1%), but these specific NTSB events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KPIE to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent lesson: in the PA-28-161, a stall at low altitude is fatal. The Warrior is a forgiving airplane in normal flight, but at 300 ft AGL with partial power and high flap deflection, the margin is gone. Carburetor heat must be applied early, and airspeed must be maintained above Vs0 (44 KIAS in landing configuration) at all times. An uncoordinated turn or slip at low altitude with partial power is a stall/spin setup.
Key lesson — In warm, moist Gulf Coast air, the PA-28-161's carbureted O-320-D can accumulate serious carburetor ice even at cruise power and above-freezing temperatures. Apply full carburetor heat at the first sign of engine roughness or unexplained RPM loss. At low altitude on final approach or during a go-around, the decision window is measured in seconds. Maintain airspeed above Vs0 (44 KIAS in landing configuration) at all times. An uncoordinated turn or slip at low altitude with partial power is a stall/spin setup — avoid it. Off Runway 18's departure end, the off-field environment is medium development and parks: a stall/spin there is fatal.
Debrief — teaching points
Carburetor ice forms in conditions you would not expect.
The FAA icing probability chart shows 'serious icing at glide power' at temperatures between roughly 20°C and 30°C when relative humidity is high — exactly the Gulf Coast afternoon conditions at KPIE. You do not need visible ice, freezing temperatures, or IMC. Warm, moist air at reduced power is the classic carb-ice environment. The PA-28-161's Lycoming O-320-D is carbureted; it has no fuel injection and no alternate air system. Carburetor heat is the only tool. Apply it proactively in conducive conditions, and apply it immediately at the first sign of roughness.
The first symptom is subtle — a dropping tachometer and engine roughness.
In a fixed-pitch airplane like the PA-28-161, carburetor ice first shows as engine roughness and an unexplained RPM decrease. There is no dramatic power cut. Pilots who are not actively monitoring the tachometer miss the early warning. By the time the roughness is obvious, significant ice has accumulated. Scan the tachometer as part of your regular instrument scan, especially in conducive conditions. On final approach, when you are focused on the landing, the roughness can sneak up on you — that is why proactive carb heat use during the approach is critical.
Apply full carburetor heat — not partial — and expect an initial RPM drop.
When you apply carb heat to an iced carburetor, the RPM will drop further before it rises. This is expected and normal: the heat is melting ice and the resulting water is briefly disrupting combustion. Do not remove carb heat when the RPM drops — that is the heat working. Hold it full on. The RPM will recover as the ice clears, typically within 15–30 seconds depending on ice accumulation. Partial carb heat can worsen the situation by partially melting ice into water ingestion without fully clearing the restriction.
At KPIE Runway 18, an engine failure on departure is a forced landing in developed terrain.
The off-field environment off Runway 18's departure end (heading 171°) is mostly medium development, open developed (parks/large lots), and dense development. There is no open field, no road, no park large enough for a safe forced landing. If the engine quits on the Runway 18 departure and altitude is insufficient to return to the airport, the outcome is a forced landing in developed terrain — a collision with buildings, trees, or power lines. This is not a worst-case scenario; it is the geographic reality. Best glide is 73 KIAS. Know this before you line up on Runway 18.
Stall speed in landing configuration is 44 KIAS — below that, the wing will not fly.
In the PA-28-161, stall speed in landing configuration (full flaps, 40°) is 44 KIAS. Below that speed, no amount of back-pressure on the yoke will keep the airplane flying — the wing is stalled. On final approach or during a go-around, maintain airspeed above 44 KIAS at all times. An uncoordinated turn or slip at low altitude with partial power and high flap deflection can push the airplane into a stall without warning. The Warrior is a forgiving airplane in normal flight, but at low altitude with partial power, the margin is gone.
An uncoordinated turn or slip at low altitude with partial power is a stall/spin setup.
The PA-28-161 has a semi-tapered wing and is generally forgiving, but at low altitude with partial power and high flap deflection, an uncoordinated turn or slip can exceed the stall margin. The stall speed increases in a bank; a slip increases the stall speed further. At 300 ft AGL with partial power, rough engine, and high flap deflection (20°), a slip is a fatal decision. Maintain coordination, keep the ball centered, and maintain airspeed above Vs0 at all times.
Proactive carb heat use in conducive conditions is not optional.
The PA-28-161 POH and the FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge both recommend applying carburetor heat when conditions are conducive to icing — before the symptom appears. In a Gulf Coast summer approach, with OAT near 28°C and dew point near 22°C, that means applying carb heat during the approach descent (and confirming the expected RPM drop, then recovery) and leaving it on for the landing. Waiting for the roughness to appear at 300 ft AGL on final approach is waiting too long.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB LAX03LA238 (2003 PA-28-161 carburetor ice / stall on go-around), CHI05LA226 (2005 PA-28-161 magneto failure / stall during climb), and CEN12FA188 (2012 PA-28-161 stall during takeoff). Localized to KPIE.
NTSB reports: LAX03LA238 · CHI05LA226 · CEN12FA188
ACS tasks: PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.I.G — Cross-Country Flight Planning · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.II.B — Engine Starting / Systems Preflight · PA.V.C — Stall Prevention
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.185
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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