Bounced Landing, Go-Around, and the Stall Trap
A Cessna 172S go-around after a hard landing — airspeed decay and control pressure at low altitude over dense development
The scenario
Departing Tampa International Airport (KTPA), Tampa, FL — Runway 19R, a 11,002-foot concrete runway on a 182° magnetic heading. Elevation 26 ft MSL. You are conducting a solo practice landing session: three full-stop landings, then a go-around on the fourth approach to practice the maneuver.
Conditions are VFR: scattered clouds at 3,500 ft, wind 170° at 6 knots (nearly aligned with Runway 19R), visibility 10 SM, OAT 24°C, altimeter 29.98. KTPA is Class B airspace (ceiling 10,000 MSL), towered 24 hours. You are in radio contact with Tampa Approach and Tower.
Your first three landings were acceptable — a bit firm on the third one, but within limits. You are now on final approach to Runway 19R for the fourth landing, which you have planned as a go-around practice. You are at 500 ft AGL, on a stable 3° glide slope, airspeed 65 KIAS (Vref), landing gear down, flaps 30°, trim set for approach.
Aircraft: Cessna 172S, solo, 2,300 lb (within limits). Fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 hp, fixed-pitch prop, G1000 glass panel. The airplane is airworthy; nothing was written up.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 180 hours total. You have 45 hours in the C172S. You are familiar with KTPA from your training but this is your first solo practice session here. You have practiced go-arounds in training but have not executed one from a low-altitude bounce or hard landing.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KTPA · Tampa'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '10/28 · 19L/01R · 19R/01L'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '26 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'C172S'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we enter the scenario — what do you know about go-around technique in the C172S? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB CEN25LA128 (2025): A Cessna 172S lost control during landing flare and the pilot initiated a go-around near a tree line at low altitude. The accident resulted from the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the go-around, leading to an aerodynamic stall and terrain impact. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain airplane control and adequate airspeed during the go-around.
NTSB CEN14CA322 (2014): A Cessna 172S being flown by a student pilot during landing practice stalled and impacted terrain off the left side of the runway when the student applied excessive back pressure on the control yoke during a go-around after a bounced landing. The accident was attributed to the student pilot's use of excessive back pressure on the flight controls during the attempted go-around that induced a stall and loss of control.
NTSB CEN13LA348 (2013): A Cessna 172S flown by a solo student pilot stalled during a go-around after a bounced landing at Grand Forks International Airport. The accident resulted from inadequate recovery technique from the bounce, leading to an aerodynamic stall at insufficient altitude for recovery.
NTSB ERA14FA283 (2014, fatal): A Cessna 172S on an instructional night flight experienced a partial loss of engine power during initial climb after a touch-and-go landing at Daytona Beach and impacted the ground. Contributing to the accident was the pilots' decision to turn back to the airport, which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall while maneuvering at low altitude.
The consistent failure mode across all these accidents: a go-around or climb-out at low altitude with inadequate airspeed, combined with excessive pitch-up (either from aggressive control input or an attempt to turn back to the airport). The C172S stalls at 48 KIAS clean and 40 KIAS landing. At 30–50 ft AGL, there is no altitude for recovery. The margin between stall speed and terrain is zero.
All the real accidents cited above occurred at other airports — NOT at Tampa International. KTPA has its own accident history (dominant patterns: forced landing 22.2%, loss of control inflight 11.1%, loss of control ground 8.9%). This scenario is localized to KTPA to make the off-field environment real: dense development and pasture/hay off Runway 19R's approach end — poor forced-landing options if you lose the runway during a go-around.
The teachable lesson: a go-around after a bounced or hard landing is not a panic maneuver. It is a controlled procedure: full power (immediate on the fuel-injected IO-360), shallow pitch (level flight initially), monitor airspeed (allow it to build before pitching up), retract flaps in stages (30° to 15° to 0°), and trim as needed. Aggressive pitch-up at low airspeed is the trap. The airplane will stall, and you will not recover.
Key lesson — In the C172S, a go-around after a bounced or hard landing requires discipline: full power, shallow pitch, monitor airspeed, staged flap retraction. Aggressive pitch-up at low altitude is unrecoverable. At 30–50 ft AGL, the margin between stall speed (48 KIAS clean) and terrain is zero. The off-field environment at KTPA (dense development, pasture/hay) offers poor forced-landing options if you lose the runway. Fly the airplane — do not let the airplane fly you.
Debrief — teaching points
A bounced landing is not a failure — it is a decision point.
A bounce at 30 ft AGL is recoverable. You can land again (try to catch it) or go around. Either is acceptable. The failure is the decision made after the bounce: an aggressive pitch-up at low airspeed, or a panic maneuver. The C172S is stable and forgiving if you fly it smoothly. A second landing attempt after a bounce is often simpler and safer than a go-around at 30 ft AGL.
Go-around technique: full power, shallow pitch, monitor airspeed, staged flaps.
The C172S's fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360 delivers full power immediately — no carb heat, no warm-up. Apply full throttle and establish a shallow pitch attitude (aim for level flight initially, not a climb). Let the engine accelerate the airplane. Monitor the airspeed indicator continuously. Once airspeed reaches 65 KIAS, you can pitch up to a normal climb attitude (Vy = 74 KIAS). Retract flaps in stages: 30° to 15° first, then to 0° as airspeed increases. Abrupt flap retraction at low airspeed causes a pitch-down moment — manage it with trim and smooth control inputs.
Stall speed in the C172S: 48 KIAS clean, 40 KIAS landing configuration.
These are the critical numbers. At 30–50 ft AGL during a go-around, you are operating in a narrow band between stall speed and terrain. If airspeed decays to 48 KIAS or below in a clean configuration, the airplane will stall. There is no altitude for recovery. The only defense is to monitor airspeed continuously and never allow it to decay below Vx (62 KIAS) during the initial climb. If airspeed is decaying, lower the pitch attitude and let the engine accelerate you.
Pitch attitude and back pressure: shallow is safe, aggressive is fatal.
The difference between a safe go-around and a stall is pitch attitude. A shallow pitch (level flight initially) allows the engine to accelerate the airplane. An aggressive pitch-up (nose well above the horizon) at low airspeed induces a stall. The temptation at low altitude is to pitch up aggressively to 'get altitude' — resist it. Altitude comes from airspeed and a shallow pitch, not from a steep pitch at low airspeed. Trim is your ally: as you add power and pitch up, the trim will fight you (the airplane was trimmed for descent). Re-trim smoothly to reduce control pressure and avoid over-controlling.
The off-field environment at KTPA: dense development and pasture/hay.
Off Runway 19R's approach end (heading 182°), the off-field environment is dense development, medium development, and pasture/hay — poor forced-landing options. If you lose the runway during a go-around and cannot recover, your options are limited. This is not a reason to avoid go-arounds — it is a reason to execute them correctly. Fly the airplane smoothly, monitor airspeed, and climb away from the runway. Do not panic and do not pitch up aggressively.
Trim management during a go-around is critical.
The C172S is trimmed for descent at 65 KIAS (Vref). When you apply full power and pitch up for a go-around, the trim is fighting you — it is still set for descent. You will feel heavy back pressure on the yoke. Resist the temptation to pull harder — instead, re-trim. Use the electric trim wheel to reduce the back pressure. This prevents over-controlling and allows you to fly the airplane smoothly. Smooth inputs are safer than aggressive ones.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB CEN25LA128 (2025 C172S go-around stall), CEN14CA322 (2014 C172S student stall on go-around after bounce), CEN13LA348 (2013 C172S go-around stall after bounced landing), ERA14FA283 (2014 C172S partial power loss, turn-back stall), and WPR12FA230 (2012 C172S low-altitude stall after takeoff). Real events occurred at other airports — NOT at Tampa International. Localized to KTPA.
NTSB reports: CEN25LA128 · CEN14CA322 · CEN13LA348 · ERA14FA283 · WPR12FA230
ACS tasks: PA.II.E — Takeoff and Departure · PA.II.F — Inflight Maneuvers · PA.II.G — Ground Reference Maneuvers · PA.III.A — Normal Approach and Landing · PA.III.B — Forward Slip to a Landing · PA.III.C — Go-Around / Rejected Landing · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.303
Step through the full decision tree, make the calls, and see where each choice leads — then debrief it with your CFI.
Open the interactive scenario →All sample scenarios · More Cessna 172S scenarios · More scenarios at KTPA