Rough Running on the Go-Around
Partial power loss during a go-around in a high-performance Cessna 182 — the constant-speed prop and cowl flaps add workload when you need it least
The scenario
Departing Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ), Sarasota, FL — Runway 14, on approach for a full-stop landing. Elevation 30 ft MSL. You are a commercial pilot with a high-performance endorsement, current in the Cessna 182 Skylane, roughly 800 hours total time.
It is a warm, humid Florida afternoon in late May: OAT 29°C, dew point 23°C, altimeter 29.91. Scattered clouds at 2,500 ft, light rain shower three miles to the northeast. Visibility 9 SM. KSRQ tower is open (part-time 0600–0000 local); you are in Class C airspace (ceiling 4,000 MSL). This is your second approach to KSRQ; you are not based here.
You are on short final for Runway 14, 400 ft AGL, 70 KIAS (Vref, power-off approach speed), descending at a normal 3° glide path. The runway is made. You are committed to landing. Then, 200 ft AGL, the tower calls: 'Cessna [N-number], go around, traffic on the runway.' You advance the throttle, pitch for climb, and begin to retract flaps. The engine begins to run rough. Power is noticeably down — the manifold pressure is dropping.
Aircraft: Cessna 182 Skylane, solo, full fuel, within limits. Continental O-470, 230 hp, carbureted, constant-speed propeller, cowl flaps, steam panel, fuel selector on BOTH. Nothing was written up; the airplane was airworthy at departure. You did not apply carburetor heat during the approach because the engine was running smoothly.
Pilot: you — a Commercial pilot, current, roughly 800 hours total. You have 50 hours in the C182. You are familiar with the constant-speed prop and cowl flaps, but you have not flown this airplane in high-humidity Gulf Coast conditions. You did not brief a go-around procedure before the approach.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KSRQ · Sarasota Bradenton'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '4/22 · 14/32'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '30 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'C182'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Takeoff / Landing'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about the Cessna 182 and partial power loss in high-humidity conditions? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB CEN21LA002 (2020): A Cessna 182 experienced a partial loss of engine power during a go-around attempt on final approach. The pilot made a forced landing in a corn field. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined, though carburetor icing was possible. The probable cause was listed as 'partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.' The airplane was not retained for examination.
NTSB CEN26LA009 (2025): A Cessna 182RG experienced engine problems during cruise including unresponsive propeller pitch control, rough running, and total oil pressure loss. The pilot executed a forced landing on a road. The probable cause was not determined; the aircraft was retained for further examination. The sequence — rough running, propeller control issues, oil pressure loss — suggests a systemic engine problem, possibly fuel contamination or internal engine damage.
NTSB WPR25LA292 (2025): A Cessna 182N on a personal flight from French Valley to Fallbrook experienced reduced engine power on approach that could not be restored. The pilot executed an emergency landing on a divided highway with partial power. During landing roll, the left wing struck a tree, causing the aircraft to veer left, exit the roadway, and nose over. The pilot survived. The probable cause was not determined.
The local environment at KSRQ makes this scenario consequential: Runway 14's departure end (heading 134°) is dense development — parking lots, roads, and built-up area. An engine failure on the Runway 14 departure at low altitude is a forced landing into that development, not a field landing. Runway 22's departure end is open water — a ditching. Runway 04's departure end is marginal (wooded wetland and low-density development). Runway 32's departure end is poor (marsh and dense development). The runway you depart on matters.
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 Cessna 182 is a high-performance airplane: 230 hp, constant-speed prop, cowl flaps, and a nose-heavy airframe. A go-around in the C182 is higher workload than in a 172. Carburetor icing in warm, moist Gulf Coast air is a real threat.
The consistent thread across all these events: partial power loss in the C182 is insidious. It can develop gradually, the first symptom is roughness and a dropping manifold pressure (not a dramatic power cut), and by the time it is obvious, the decision window is very short. The fix — full carburetor heat, immediately, at the first sign of roughness in conducive conditions — is simple. The failure is always a delay.
Key lesson — In warm, moist Gulf Coast air, the C182's carbureted Continental O-470 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 manifold pressure loss. In a go-around at low altitude, the decision window is measured in seconds — not minutes. Off Runway 14 at KSRQ, the off-field environment is dense development: a delayed response means a forced landing into built-up area, not a field landing. Know your off-field options before you line up on the runway.
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 KSRQ. You do not need visible ice, freezing temperatures, or IMC. Warm, moist air at reduced power is the classic carb-ice environment. The C182's Continental O-470 is carbureted; it has no fuel injection or alternate air system. Carburetor heat is the only tool.
The first symptom is subtle — a dropping manifold pressure and engine roughness.
In the C182 with a constant-speed prop, carburetor ice first shows as engine roughness and an unexplained manifold pressure decrease. There is no dramatic power cut. Pilots who are not actively monitoring the manifold pressure gauge miss the early warning. By the time the roughness is obvious, significant ice has accumulated. Scan the manifold pressure as part of your regular instrument scan, especially in conducive conditions.
Apply full carburetor heat — not partial — and expect an initial manifold pressure drop.
When you apply carb heat to an iced carburetor, the manifold pressure 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 manifold pressure drops — that is the heat working. Hold it full on. The manifold pressure 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.
A go-around in the C182 is higher workload than in a 172 — manage the constant-speed prop and cowl flaps, but prioritize the engine.
The C182's constant-speed propeller requires active RPM management — in a go-around, you must advance the prop control (RPM) as well as the throttle. The cowl flaps are for engine cooling, but they are secondary to power management. If the engine is rough during a go-around, apply carburetor heat first. Prop RPM and cowl flaps come after you have diagnosed and addressed the engine roughness. The workload is real, but the priority is clear: engine first.
Off Runway 14 at KSRQ, the off-field environment is dense development — know your options before you depart.
The off-field environment off Runway 14's departure end (heading 134°) is dense development — parking lots, roads, and built-up area. There is no alternate landing surface. If the engine fails on the Runway 14 departure and altitude is insufficient to return to the airport, the outcome is a forced landing into that development. This is not a worst-case scenario; it is the geographic reality. Best glide is 70 KIAS. Flaps for slowest possible touchdown speed — impact energy rises with the square of touchdown speed. Know this before you line up on Runway 14. (Runway 22's departure end is open water — a ditching. Runway 04's departure end is marginal. Runway 32's departure end is poor.)
Proactive carb heat use in conducive conditions is not optional.
The C182 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 29°C and dew point near 23°C, that means applying carb heat during the descent in visible moisture or high humidity. Waiting for the roughness to appear at 200 ft AGL during a go-around is waiting too long.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB CEN21LA002 (2020 C182 partial power loss on go-around, forced landing), CEN26LA009 (2025 C182RG engine roughness and propeller control issues), and WPR25LA292 (2025 C182N reduced power on approach, emergency landing). Anonymized and localized to KSRQ.
NTSB reports: CEN21LA002 · CEN26LA009 · WPR25LA292
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.A — Preflight Inspection · PA.VIII.A — Approach and Landing
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.185 · §61.31
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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