Bounce and Gust on Short Final

Departing Peter O Knight Airport (KTPF), Tampa, FL — Runway 22, landing in gusty crosswind conditions. Elevation 8 ft MSL. You are on an instructional flight with a commercial-rated safety pilot in the right seat.

It is a breezy Florida afternoon: surface wind 220° at 12 gusting to 18 knots. Runway 22 is aligned 217° true — a near-direct crosswind. Visibility 10 SM, scattered clouds at 3,500 ft, light turbulence in the pattern. The wind is workable but gusty; the gusts are noticeable in the turns.

You are on short final for Runway 22, 400 ft AGL, descending at 70 KIAS (Vref), flaps full (landing), prop full RPM (constant-speed prop is at high RPM for landing). The runway is made. You are stable on glide slope. Then, 200 ft AGL, a gust lifts the left wing. The airplane balloons up 30 ft, and you are suddenly 50 ft high on a 3,583 ft runway. The gust subsides. You have a choice: land from here (a long float, possible bounce) or go around.

Aircraft: Diamond DA40, solo with safety pilot, within limits. Constant-speed prop, fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360, fixed gear, glass panel (G1000). Flaps are full (landing). Power is at idle. You are at 150 ft AGL and 70 KIAS.

Pilot: you — a Commercial pilot, roughly 400 hours total, 80 hours in type. You have done go-arounds before, but never in gusty crosswind conditions at low altitude. The safety pilot is watching but will not intervene unless you are about to hit something.

NTSB GAA19CA582 (2019): A Diamond DA40 on an instructional flight experienced a loss of control during an aborted go-around when the pilot cut power and applied brakes with insufficient runway remaining. The accident resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a concrete barrier. The probable cause was the pilot's decision to abort the go-around without adequate runway distance and failure to communicate intentions to ATC.

NTSB GAA19CA409 (2019): A Diamond DA40 on an instructional flight drifted left of the runway during landing in crosswind conditions and struck a runway edge light during a go-around. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain runway heading and bank control in crosswind conditions.

NTSB GAA19CA431 (2019): A Diamond DA40 stalled during a go-around attempt on a short grass runway in high-density altitude conditions after the pilot delayed the go-around decision and the aircraft floated. The probable cause was the pilot's delayed decision to go around in high-temperature, high-density altitude conditions and exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack.

NTSB ERA20CA072 (2020, Beech C23): A Beech 23 bounced during landing in crosswind conditions, became airborne, and entered a full stall during the go-around despite full power and flaps. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain control during landing and the flight instructor's delayed intervention.

NTSB LAX07CA256 (2007, Cessna 150L): A student pilot initiated a go-around due to wind gust but excessively retracted flaps to 10° instead of the manufacturer-recommended 20°, resulting in a stall and hard landing. The probable cause was failure to follow proper go-around procedures and maintain adequate airspeed.

NTSB GAA17CA103 (2016, Piper PA-28): A Piper PA-28 encountered multiple crosswind gusts during approach and go-around; the left wing dropped and contacted the ground during the go-around, causing the aircraft to cartwheel. The probable cause was inadequate compensation for crosswind conditions during the go-around.

NTSB GAA17CA513 (2017, Cessna 172G): A Cessna 172 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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed and exceedance of the critical angle of attack.

The common thread: go-arounds in gusty crosswind conditions are high-risk. The DA40's slippery composite airframe floats on landing — a gust balloon is common. The decision to go around must be made early, before the airplane is too low and slow. Once committed to a go-around, the sequence is rigid: full power immediately, pitch for Vy (66 KIAS in the DA40), and staged flap retraction (full → 20° → 10° → clean). Aggressive pitch-up, flap dumping, or inadequate crosswind compensation can precipitate a stall at an altitude where recovery is marginal or impossible.

At KTPF, the off-field environment matters: off Runway 22's departure end (heading 217°) is open water — Tampa Bay. A stall or loss of control during a go-around off Runway 22 could result in a ditching. Off Runway 04's departure end (heading 37°) is dense development. Off Runways 18 and 36 is also open water. The runway you choose and the wind direction determine the consequences of a go-around failure. This is not hypothetical — it is the NLCD ground cover off each runway end.

The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at KTPF. KTPF has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns: forced landing 19.4%, loss of control in-flight 16.7%, ditching 11.1%), but these specific events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KTPF to make the off-field environment real and consequential for you as a student here.