Bouncing Into the Gusts

Departing Albert Whitted Airport (KSPG), St. Petersburg, FL — Runway 25, landing attempt in gusty crosswind conditions. Elevation 7 ft MSL; the runway is essentially at sea level.

It is a breezy Florida afternoon: wind 210° at 12 gusting to 18 knots. Runway 25 is aligned 242° (magnetic). The crosswind component is roughly 8–10 knots steady, with gusts pushing 12–14 knots. Visibility 10 SM, scattered clouds at 3,500 ft, light turbulence in the lower 500 ft. The tower is open and active (1400 local, within 0700–2100 operating hours). You are on a VFR local flight — a practice landing in crosswind conditions.

You are on final approach to Runway 25, 300 ft AGL, 76 KIAS (Vref approach speed), landing gear down, flaps 20°. The approach is stable until about 50 ft AGL, when a gust lifts the left wing. You correct with right aileron and land. The airplane touches down, but bounces — a significant bounce, not a minor one. You are airborne again at 30 ft AGL, 65 KIAS, and the runway is still ahead of you.

Aircraft: Piper PA-28-181 Archer, solo, within weight and balance limits. Lycoming O-360-A, 180 hp, fixed-pitch prop, fixed gear, carbureted. Flaps are at 20°. You have full fuel. Nothing was written up; the airplane is airworthy.

Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 250 hours total. You have done crosswind landings before, but not in gusts this strong. You have not practiced go-arounds recently. The bounce surprised you; you did not expect to be airborne again at 30 ft AGL.

NTSB ERA21LA139 (2021): A Piper PA-28-181 on a stage check landing attempt stalled when the student pilot flared too high and failed to execute a go-around despite stall warning and instructor command. The student did not add power during the go-around and did not maintain airspeed. The airplane impacted the ground in an uncontrolled descent. The probable cause was the student pilot's improper landing flare and failure to add power during go-around, with contributing factor of delayed instructor remedial action.

NTSB CEN12LA337 (2012): A Piper PA-28-181 touched down too far down the runway at high speed, porpoised, and struck trees during a shallow climb-out after an aborted landing. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to attain a proper touchdown point at the proper speed, failure to initiate a proper go-around, and the airplane's inadequate climb gradient after the aborted landing.

NTSB CHI08CA147 (2008): A Piper PA-28-181 on an instructional flight stalled during a go-around when the student pilot improperly raised flaps and lost airspeed. The probable cause was the student pilot's improper flap management during the go-around and failure to maintain airspeed. Trees were a factor in the accident.

NTSB ERA20CA072 (2020, Beech C23 — regional precedent): A Beech 23 on instructional flight bounced during landing in crosswind conditions, became airborne, and entered a full stall during the go-around despite full power and flaps. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain control during landing and the flight instructor's delayed intervention. The teaching angle: recognize when a go-around is necessary after a bounce, maintain adequate airspeed and control inputs during the initial climb-out phase, and understand how wind gusts can compound control challenges during low-speed flight.

NTSB GAA17CA103 (2016, Piper PA-28-140 — regional precedent): A Piper PA-28 encountered multiple crosswind gusts during approach and go-around; the left wing dropped and contacted the ground during the go-around, causing the aircraft to cartwheel. The probable cause was the pilot's inadequate compensation for crosswind conditions during the go-around.

The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at Albert Whitted Airport. KSPG has its own accident history (dominant pattern: LOSS_OF_CONTROL_INFLIGHT 20.0%, FORCED_LANDING 16.4%, LOSS_OF_CONTROL_GROUND 14.5%, DITCHING 12.7%, STALL_SPIN 12.7%), but these specific events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KSPG to make the runway environment and the crosswind challenge real and consequential for you as a student here.

The consistent thread across all these events: a bounce on landing in gusty conditions triggers a go-around decision. The go-around itself becomes the accident when the pilot mismanages flaps, loses airspeed, or fails to maintain control in the gusts. The stall margin at 30–50 ft AGL with flaps extended and gear down is razor-thin — 5–10 knots separates control from a stall. The fix is disciplined flap management (staged retraction, not all-at-once), immediate full power, and airspeed priority over climb rate at low altitude.