Bounced Landing, Gusting Wind, Go-Around Decision

Departing Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ), Runway 14, on a local instructional flight. Elevation 30 ft MSL. You are a Private pilot with roughly 150 hours total time; this is your third dual flight with a new CFI after a recent checkride.

Conditions: VFR, scattered clouds at 3,500 ft, visibility 10 SM. Wind is from 160° at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots. Runway 14's magnetic heading is 134°, so the wind is a crosswind from the right at roughly 8–10 knots steady, with gusts adding another 6 knots of unpredictability. The tower is active and has cleared you for landing on Runway 14.

You are on a 3-mile final approach to Runway 14 at 1,200 ft AGL, descending at 500 fpm, airspeed 70 KIAS (slightly above Vref 63 KIAS for a margin in the wind). Flaps are at 20°. The CFI is in the right seat, monitoring. The runway is in sight.

At 400 ft AGL, a gust lifts the right wing and the aircraft balloons upward. You correct with left aileron and forward stick to maintain the descent. At 200 ft AGL, the aircraft is still drifting right and high. You are no longer on a stable approach — the wind is pushing you around.

Aircraft: Cessna 172N, solo (you and CFI), within limits. Carbureted Lycoming O-320, fixed-pitch prop, fixed gear, fuel selector BOTH. Nothing was written up; the airplane is airworthy.

Pilot: You — Private pilot, current, roughly 150 hours. You have done 15–20 landings in crosswind conditions, but nothing this gusty. You have done one go-around in training (a stable one, no wind). Your CFI has done hundreds of go-arounds and is watching your approach.

NTSB WPR23FA247 (2023, FATAL): A Cessna 172 piloted by a newly certified private pilot on his first post-checkride flight stalled during a go-around with full flaps extended. The pilot exceeded the aircraft's critical angle of attack during takeoff, and flap retraction contributed to the loss of control. The aircraft rolled inverted and impacted buildings. The probable cause was the pilot's exceedance of the critical angle of attack and the sudden retraction of flaps.

NTSB ERA25LA164 (2025): A Cessna 172N student pilot aborted a landing due to gusting crosswind drift, applied full throttle for go-around, but was unable to maintain proper control inputs and entered a stall/spin. The aircraft impacted terrain nose-down with substantial left wing damage. The probable cause was the student pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the attempted go-around.

NTSB GAA17CA513 (2017): A Cessna 172G on an instructional flight stalled during a go-around in gusting crosswind conditions. The flight instructor failed to maintain adequate airspeed and exceeded the critical angle of attack. The probable cause was the instructor's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and the exceedance of the critical angle of attack.

NTSB GAA17CA103 (2016): 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 common thread across all these accidents: a go-around initiated in gusty crosswind conditions, combined with improper flap management (sudden full retraction) or loss of airspeed control, resulted in a stall or loss of control at low altitude. The aircraft had insufficient altitude to recover.

At KSRQ, the off-field environment off Runway 14's departure end (heading 134°) is dense development — residential and commercial buildings. An aircraft that stalls or spins during a go-around at 300–400 ft AGL will impact that development. This is not hypothetical; it is the NLCD ground cover off that runway end.

The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at KSRQ. The scenario is localized to KSRQ to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here.

The consistent lesson: a go-around decision should be made early — before 500 ft AGL — when the approach is unstable. Once committed to a go-around, apply full power immediately, lower the nose to maintain airspeed (65 KIAS initially, then Vy 73 KIAS), and retract flaps gradually in stages. Never allow the aircraft to climb at an excessive pitch attitude that risks stall, and never retract flaps suddenly in one motion at low altitude. The margin between Vref (63 KIAS) and stall speed (40 KIAS clean) is small — a gust or a sudden pitch-up can push you into stall territory.