Partial Power Loss on the Go-Around
Engine roughness and reduced power during a go-around at low altitude — the C182's workload, density altitude, and Tampa Bay's water make this decision critical
The scenario
Departing Peter O Knight Airport (KTPF), Tampa, FL — Runway 22, on approach to land after a local flight. Elevation 8 ft MSL. It is a warm, humid Gulf Coast afternoon in late spring: OAT 29°C, dew point 23°C, altimeter 29.91. Scattered clouds at 2,500 ft, light rain shower two miles to the southeast. Visibility 8 SM. The classic Gulf Coast conditions that the FAA icing probability chart marks as 'serious icing at glide power, moderate icing at cruise power.'
You are on short final for Runway 22, 300 ft AGL, 70 KIAS (Vref approach speed), descending at a normal rate. The runway is ahead and below. You are configured for landing: flaps 40°, landing gear fixed (no gear to raise on a C182), prop full forward, mixture rich, carburetor heat OFF (you applied it during the descent and the engine ran smoothly, so you turned it off to restore full power on approach). The tower is non-existent — KTPF is Class G, non-towered, CTAF only. You are monitoring 122.8 and announcing your position.
At 200 ft AGL, the landing does not look right. The approach is slightly high and drifting right. You decide to go around. You advance the throttle to full power, raise the flaps to 0–10° (Vfe 140 KIAS), and begin a shallow climb. The engine responds — but not fully. The tachometer is lower than expected, and the engine is running rough. Power is noticeably reduced. You are at 250 ft AGL, climbing at 60 KIAS (below Vy of 80 KIAS), and the engine is not giving you what you need.
Aircraft: Cessna 182 Skylane, solo, full fuel, within limits. Continental O-470 carbureted, 230 hp, constant-speed prop, cowl flaps, steam panel. Nothing was written up; the airplane was airworthy at departure. The constant-speed prop is in full-forward (high RPM) position; you did not touch it during the descent.
Pilot: you — a Commercial pilot, current, roughly 400 hours total, with a high-performance endorsement. You have 80 hours in the C182. You are familiar with KTPF from local flights. The go-around was a normal decision — the approach was not stable. But now you have a partial power loss at 250 ft AGL, and the runway is behind you. Off Runway 22's climb-out (heading 217°), the off-field environment is open water — Tampa Bay. There is no alternate landing surface ahead.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KTPF · Peter O Knight'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '4/22 · 18/36'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '8 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'C182'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Approach'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about the C182's systems and a partial power loss on go-around? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB CEN21LA002 (2020): A Cessna 182 on approach experienced a partial loss of engine power during a go-around attempt. 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 'undetermined.' The pilot survived; the aircraft was substantially damaged.
NTSB CEN26LA009 (2025): A Cessna 182RG on cruise experienced engine problems 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 incident highlights the C182's constant-speed prop and the workload involved in managing it — a system a fixed-pitch pilot does not have.
NTSB WPR25LA292 (2025): A Cessna 182N on approach experienced reduced engine power that could not be restored. The pilot executed an emergency landing on a divided highway with partial power. The left wing struck a tree during landing roll, causing the aircraft to veer left, exit the roadway, and nose over. The probable cause was not determined.
The local environment at KTPF makes this scenario particularly unforgiving: Runway 22's climb-out (heading 217°) is open water — Tampa Bay. An engine failure on the Runway 22 go-around at low altitude is a ditching, not a field landing. There is no open field, no road, no park. The water is the off-field environment. 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 Peter O Knight Airport. KTPF has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns: FORCED_LANDING 19.4%, LOSS_OF_CONTROL_INFLIGHT 16.7%, DITCHING 11.1%), but these specific NTSB events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KTPF to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: partial power loss in the C182 is insidious. It can occur for undetermined reasons — carburetor icing, propeller control issues, fuel system anomalies. The first symptom is roughness and a dropping tachometer. By the time it is obvious, the pilot is at low altitude with limited options. 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 RPM loss. On a go-around at low altitude over water, the decision window is measured in seconds — not minutes. Off Runway 22 at KTPF, the off-field environment is Tampa Bay: a delayed response means a ditching, not a field landing. The C182 is a high-performance airplane — it carries more energy and more workload (constant-speed prop, cowl flaps) than a 172. Know your systems. Know your field. Know your limits.
Debrief — teaching points
Carburetor ice forms in conditions you would not expect — and the C182 is carbureted.
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 KTPF. The C182's Continental O-470 is carbureted; it has no fuel injection or alternate air system. Carburetor heat is the only tool. You do not need visible ice, freezing temperatures, or IMC. Warm, moist air at reduced power (descent, approach, go-around) is the classic carb-ice environment. Scan the tachometer as part of your regular instrument scan, especially in conducive conditions.
The first symptom is subtle — a dropping tachometer and engine roughness.
In a constant-speed prop airplane like the C182, carburetor ice first shows as engine roughness and an unexplained RPM decrease. There is no dramatic power cut. Pilots who are not actively monitoring the tachometer miss the early warning. By the time the roughness is obvious, significant ice has accumulated. On a go-around at 250 ft AGL, you have 20–30 seconds of useful decision time. Delay is fatal.
Apply full carburetor heat — not partial — and expect an initial RPM drop.
When you apply carb heat to an iced carburetor, the RPM 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 RPM drops — that is the heat working. Hold it full on. The RPM 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.
At KTPF Runway 22, an engine failure on go-around is a ditching.
The off-field environment off Runway 22's climb-out (heading 217°) is open water — Tampa Bay. There is no alternate landing surface. If the engine quits on the Runway 22 go-around and altitude is insufficient to return to the airport, the outcome is a ditching. This is not a worst-case scenario; it is the geographic reality. Best glide is 70 KIAS. Fuel selector BOTH, mixture rich, master off just before impact. Flaps for slowest possible touchdown speed — impact energy rises with the square of touchdown speed, so the slowest possible speed matters most. Know this before you line up on Runway 22.
The C182 is a high-performance airplane — it carries more workload than a 172.
The C182 has a constant-speed prop and cowl flaps. These systems require active management: prop control for RPM, cowl flaps for engine cooling. A 172 pilot transitioning to the C182 must understand that a rough engine could indicate prop control issues, not just carburetor ice. The C182 is also nose-heavy and carries more energy — a fast or flat approach floats and the nose drops into a porpoise. Density altitude erodes climb performance significantly. Know your systems. Know your airplane. The high-performance endorsement is not a checkbox — it is a requirement for safe operation.
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 descent and approach, with OAT near 29°C and dew point near 23°C, that means applying carb heat during the descent and leaving it on through the approach. Waiting for the roughness to appear at 250 ft AGL on 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 problems / forced landing), and WPR25LA292 (2025 C182N reduced power on approach / emergency landing). Anonymized and localized to KTPF.
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.II.D — Propeller and Engine Management
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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