Bounced Landing, Gusty Crosswind, Go-Around Stall
A go-around in gusting wind at low altitude — airspeed priority, flap retraction sequence, and the margin between recovery and impact
The scenario
Departing Tampa International Airport (KTPA), Tampa, FL — Runway 19R, on a VFR cross-country flight. Elevation 26 ft MSL. You are on final approach to Runway 19R (heading 182°) after a 1.5-hour flight from a nearby airport. The runway is 11,002 ft of concrete — plenty of length. The tower is active and has cleared you to land.
The weather is VFR but deteriorating. Wind is from 200° at 18 gusts 28 knots — a direct crosswind on Runway 19R. Visibility is 6 SM in light rain and haze. The tower has already cleared two other aircraft around for go-arounds in the last 10 minutes due to wind gusts. You are on a 3° glide slope, 500 ft AGL, at 63 KIAS (Vref, approach speed), full flaps (30°) extended, landing gear down. The approach is stable but the wind is pushing you around.
Aircraft: Cessna 172N, solo, 1,800 lb gross weight, within limits. Carbureted Lycoming O-320, fixed-pitch prop, steam panel, fuel selector on BOTH. You have 2.5 hours of fuel remaining — no fuel concern.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 180 hours total. You have about 40 hours of crosswind landing experience. Your CFI is not on board. This is your first landing at KTPA in gusty crosswind conditions. You have never executed a go-around in wind this strong.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KTPA · Tampa'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '10/28 · 19L/01R · 19R/01L'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '26 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'C172N'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you know about go-arounds in gusty crosswind conditions? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB WPR23FA247 (2023, FATAL): A Cessna 172N piloted by a newly certified private pilot on his first post-checkride flight stalled during a go-around with full flaps extended and lost control, rolling inverted into buildings. The probable cause was the pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during takeoff, with flap retraction contributing to the loss of control. The pilot did not survive.
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 CEN09CA459 (2009): A Cessna 172 on approach in gusty winds floated past the touchdown zone, and during the subsequent go-around, the pilot stalled the aircraft at low altitude when setting climb pitch attitude. The probable cause was failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the go-around in challenging wind conditions.
NTSB GAA17CA513 (2017): A Cessna 172 on an instructional flight stalled during a go-around in gusting crosswind conditions after a wind gust lifted the aircraft during a full-stall landing demonstration. The probable cause was the flight instructor's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and exceedance of the critical angle of attack.
The consistent thread: a go-around in gusty wind at low altitude is a high-risk maneuver. The margin between recovery and impact is measured in seconds. The critical errors are: (1) aggressive pitch-up instead of shallow climb, (2) sudden flap retraction instead of staged, (3) failure to prioritize airspeed over altitude, and (4) delayed recognition of stall warning.
These real accidents occurred at other airports and in various conditions — NOT at KTPA specifically. However, KTPA's dominant accident pattern includes LOSS_OF_CONTROL_INFLIGHT (11.1%) and GO_AROUND_ACCIDENT risk is present at any towered airport with gusty wind. The scenario is localized to KTPA to make the runway environment and airspace real for you as a student here.
The off-field environment off Runway 19R (heading 182°) is dense development and pasture/hay — a forced landing there is survivable but damaging. Off Runway 01L (heading 2°), the environment is also dense development and open developed areas (parks/large lots). There is no open water off KTPA's runways, but the dense development means a low-altitude stall/spin is nearly unrecoverable.
Key lesson — A go-around in gusty crosswind at low altitude is a high-risk maneuver. The critical priorities are: (1) maintain shallow pitch (5–10° nose-up), (2) retract flaps in stages (30° → 20° → 10° → 0°), (3) prioritize airspeed over altitude, and (4) recognize stall warning and lower the nose immediately. At 100–200 ft AGL, the recovery window for a stall is 3–5 seconds. If you recognize that conditions exceed your experience level, declare a go-around early and request vectors for another approach or a diversion. The NTSB data show that pilots who divert early survive; pilots who press on in marginal conditions do not.
Debrief — teaching points
Airspeed is the priority during a go-around — pitch attitude and flap retraction are secondary.
The stall speed in a C172N clean (flaps 0°) is 48 KIAS. With flaps extended, the stall speed is higher — roughly 50–55 KIAS depending on flap setting. During a go-around at low altitude, maintaining airspeed above stall speed is the single most important task. If you must choose between altitude and airspeed, choose airspeed. A stall at 100 ft AGL is nearly unrecoverable; a low-altitude descent is survivable if the aircraft is under control.
Pitch attitude during go-around should be shallow — roughly 5–10° nose-up, not aggressive.
A shallow pitch attitude allows the airspeed to build while the aircraft climbs. An aggressive pitch attitude (15–20° nose-up or more) causes the airspeed to decay rapidly. At low altitude with full flaps, an aggressive pitch attitude can lead to a stall within seconds. The correct technique is: apply full throttle, pitch to a shallow climb (5–10° nose-up), and monitor the airspeed. If the airspeed is not increasing, lower the nose further.
Flaps should be retracted in stages — not all at once.
Retracting flaps from 30° to 0° in one motion causes a sudden loss of flap lift, which can cause a pitch change or loss of control. The correct sequence is: retract from 30° to 20° (as airspeed builds to 60+ KIAS), then to 10° (as airspeed builds to 65+ KIAS), then to 0° (as airspeed builds to 70+ KIAS and altitude is safe). Staged retraction allows the airspeed to build gradually and gives you time to monitor the aircraft's response.
Recognize stall warning early — lower the nose immediately if the stall warning horn sounds.
The stall warning horn in a C172N sounds when the aircraft is approaching the critical angle of attack — before the stall actually occurs. If you hear the stall warning horn during a go-around, lower the nose immediately. Do not pull back harder; that will make the stall worse. Lower the nose, regain airspeed, and then resume the climb at a shallower pitch.
Crosswind limits are real — the C172N's demonstrated crosswind limit is roughly 15 knots.
The C172N's demonstrated crosswind limit is roughly 15 knots. Beyond that, the margin for error shrinks rapidly. Gusty wind (e.g., 18 gusts 28 knots) means the peak gust can exceed the demonstrated limit. If you are not experienced in strong crosswind landings, recognize your limits and request a diversion to a runway with lighter wind or a different airport. The NTSB data show that pilots who divert early survive; pilots who press on in marginal conditions do not.
If a gust lifts the aircraft during landing, lower the nose to regain airspeed before applying power for go-around.
When a gust lifts the aircraft during landing, the instinctive response is to pull back and climb. This is wrong. The correct response is to lower the nose to regain airspeed, then apply power for the go-around. A gust-induced lift at low altitude with full flaps is a high-risk situation. If you lower the nose and regain airspeed, you have a chance to recover. If you pull back, you risk a stall.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB WPR23FA247 (2023 C172N stall during go-around, flap retraction), ERA25LA164 (2025 C172N go-around stall/spin in crosswind), CEN25LA099 (2025 C172N fuel exhaustion during go-around), ERA24LA048 (2023 C172N loss of control during go-around, instructor delayed action), and regional precedents ATL07CA048, ERA20CA072, CEN09CA459, GAA17CA513. Localized to KTPA.
NTSB reports: WPR23FA247 · ERA25LA164 · CEN25LA099 · ERA24LA048 · ATL07CA048 · ERA20CA072 · CEN09CA459 · GAA17CA513
ACS tasks: PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.II.E — Takeoff and Climb · PA.III.A — Approaches and Landings · PA.III.B — Go-Around / Rejected Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.V.A — Stall / Spin Awareness
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.21
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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