The Go-Around Turn
Overweight, high density altitude, and a low-altitude turn — the stall/spin trap at Tampa International
The scenario
Departing Tampa International Airport (KTPA), Tampa, FL — Runway 19L, a visual approach to landing on a hot, humid afternoon. Elevation 26 ft MSL. It is late July; OAT 32°C, dew point 26°C, altimeter 29.89. Density altitude is approximately 2,100 ft — the airplane will perform as if it is 2,100 ft above sea level, not 26 ft.
You are on short final to Runway 19L (heading 182°), 500 ft AGL, descending at 62 KIAS (Vref, short-field approach speed with full flaps). The runway is in sight. The tower is active and monitoring. You are solo, but the airplane is loaded: two full fuel tanks, a full baggage compartment, and you are carrying extra weight — a friend's camping equipment that you agreed to haul. You did not weigh the airplane or recalculate W&B before departure.
At 200 ft AGL, the landing does not feel right. The airplane is not responding as crisply as usual. The descent rate is shallow — you are going to land long. At 100 ft AGL, you make the decision: go around. You advance the throttle to full power, raise the flaps to 10°, and begin a climb. The tower acknowledges your go-around.
Aircraft: Cessna 172R, fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360-L2A (160 hp), fixed-pitch prop, fixed gear, steam panel. POH V-speeds: Vs (clean) 44 KIAS, Vs0 (landing) 33 KIAS, Vx (best angle) 60 KIAS, Vy (best rate) 79 KIAS, Vbg (best glide) 65 KIAS, Va (maneuvering) 99 KIAS.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 250 hours total. You have flown the C172R before, but not in high density altitude conditions. You did not brief the go-around procedure. You did not calculate the airplane's weight or center of gravity before flight.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KTPA · Tampa'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '10/28 · 19L/01R · 19R/01L'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '26 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'C172R'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you know about go-around procedures and stall risk in the C172R? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB WPR21FA258 (2021, fatal): A Cessna 172R on a personal flight departed at high density altitude in an overweight condition. The airplane failed to climb after takeoff and the pilot attempted a return to the airport. During the return turn at low altitude, the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, compounded by the aircraft's weight exceedance and high density altitude conditions that degraded climb performance. The pilot did not calculate weight and balance before flight.
NTSB CEN14FA453 (2014, fatal): A Cessna 172R on a personal sightseeing flight failed to climb after takeoff and the pilot attempted to return to the airport. The airplane stalled during the return turn at low altitude and impacted terrain. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain control during the return turn, with contributing factors including inadequate preflight planning that resulted in the aircraft exceeding maximum gross weight. The pilot did not weigh the airplane or calculate W&B.
NTSB WPR11FA242 (2011, fatal): A Cessna 172R stalled during a downwind turn while executing a go-around from a landing attempt. The airplane entered an unrecoverable spin at low altitude. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the downwind turn, with contributing factors including inadequate preflight planning and exceedance of the approved weight and balance envelope. The pilot did not calculate W&B before flight.
The consistent thread: all three accidents involved a Cessna 172R that was overweight and/or out of CG, flown in high density altitude conditions, with a pilot who did not calculate weight and balance before flight. The immediate cause was a stall/spin during a low-altitude turn — either a return-to-airport turn after takeoff or a go-around turn during landing. In each case, the airplane's degraded climb performance and sluggish handling were warning signs that the pilot did not recognize or did not act on.
At Tampa International Airport (KTPA), the off-field environment off Runway 19L (heading 182°) is poor: mostly dense development, medium development, and pasture/hay. A stall/spin at low altitude off Runway 19L would result in impact with developed terrain or structures. There is no open field, no water, no alternate landing surface. The only safe option is to maintain airspeed and altitude during the go-around turn and complete a stable approach to the runway.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports — NOT at KTPA. However, the conditions and the failure mode are identical: overweight, high DA, low-altitude turn, stall/spin. This scenario is localized to KTPA to make the off-field environment real and the decision tree consequential for you as a student here.
Key lesson — Weight and balance must be calculated before every flight. An overweight or out-of-CG Cessna 172R has a higher stall speed, reduced climb performance, and sluggish handling — all of which are deadly in a go-around turn at low altitude. If the airplane does not feel right on approach, land and investigate. Do not attempt another approach. In a go-around, maintain airspeed (Vy or higher) and altitude first; the turn back to the runway comes second. A shallow turn at low altitude is always safer than a steep turn.
Debrief — teaching points
Weight and balance must be calculated before every flight — it is not optional.
14 CFR §91.9 requires that the aircraft be operated within its weight and balance envelope. An overweight or out-of-CG Cessna 172R is unairworthy. The pilot is responsible for calculating W&B before flight. In all three NTSB accidents cited, the pilot did not calculate W&B and did not discover the overweight condition until after the stall/spin. The airplane's sluggish handling and poor climb performance on the first approach were warning signs — but the pilot did not recognize them because they did not know the airplane was overweight.
High density altitude degrades climb performance significantly — plan accordingly.
At KTPA on a hot summer day (OAT 32°C, DA ~2,100 ft), the Cessna 172R climbs as if it is at 2,100 ft elevation, not 26 ft. Climb performance is reduced by roughly 30–40%. If the airplane is also overweight, the degradation is even worse. In a go-around at high DA, the airplane may barely climb — or not climb at all. A go-around at high DA in an overweight airplane is a stall/spin trap.
In a go-around, maintain airspeed and altitude first; the turn back to the runway comes second.
The go-around procedure is: full throttle, flaps to 10°, climb at Vy (79 KIAS). The turn back to the runway is secondary. A shallow turn (15° bank or less) at Vy or higher is safe. A steep turn (25°+ bank) at low airspeed is a stall/spin trap. At 100 ft AGL, a 30° bank at 73 KIAS is marginal — the stall speed in a 30° bank is 50 KIAS, leaving only 23 KIAS of margin. If the airplane is overweight, the stall speed is even higher.
Stall speed increases in a bank — know the numbers.
In a level flight, the Cessna 172R stalls at 44 KIAS (clean). In a 15° bank, stall speed is approximately 45 KIAS (Vs × 1.02). In a 20° bank, stall speed is approximately 48 KIAS (Vs × 1.06). In a 30° bank, stall speed is approximately 50 KIAS (Vs × 1.19). In a 45° bank, stall speed is approximately 62 KIAS (Vs × 1.41). At low altitude in a go-around, you cannot afford to be close to stall speed. Maintain Vy (79 KIAS) or higher, and keep the bank shallow (15° or less).
If the airplane does not feel right on approach, land and investigate — do not attempt another approach.
In all three NTSB accidents, the airplane's poor climb performance and sluggish handling on the first approach were warning signs. The pilots did not recognize these signs because they did not know the airplane was overweight. If the airplane does not feel right, land and investigate. Do not attempt another approach at a busy airport. Calculate W&B, check the fuel load, check the baggage, and verify that the airplane is within limits before the next flight.
A go-around at low altitude over dense development is unforgiving — there is no alternate landing surface.
Off Runway 19L at KTPA (heading 182°), the off-field environment is dense development, medium development, and pasture/hay. There is no open field, no water, no alternate landing surface. A stall/spin at low altitude off Runway 19L results in impact with developed terrain or structures. The only safe option is to maintain airspeed and altitude during the go-around turn and complete a stable approach to the runway. If you cannot do that, declare an emergency and request a straight-in approach or a divert to an alternate airport.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB WPR21FA258 (2021 C172R stall at low altitude, overweight/high DA), CEN14FA453 (2014 C172R loss of control on return-to-airport turn, overweight), and WPR11FA242 (2011 C172R stall during go-around downwind turn, overweight/W&B exceedance). All three were fatal. Localized to KTPA.
NTSB reports: WPR21FA258 · CEN14FA453 · WPR11FA242
ACS tasks: PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.I.G — Cross-Country Flight Planning · PA.II.A — Preflight Assessment · PA.VIII.C — Go-Around / Rejected Landing · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.9 · §91.13
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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