Power Loss on the Go-Around
Partial engine failure during a go-around attempt in a high-performance Cessna 182 — the decision to continue or land is made in seconds
The scenario
Departing Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF), Tampa, FL — Runway 23, on a short local flight. Elevation 22 ft MSL. You are a Commercial pilot with a high-performance endorsement; this is your second flight in the Cessna 182 Skylane. The airplane is fast, nose-heavy, and carries more energy than the 172 you trained in. The constant-speed prop and cowl flaps add workload.
It is a warm, humid Florida afternoon in late spring: OAT 29°C, dew point 23°C, altimeter 29.91. Scattered clouds at 2,800 ft, light rain shower three miles to the northeast. Visibility 9 SM. You are in Class G airspace (non-towered, CTAF). Above 3,000 ft MSL you would enter Tampa Class B.
You have completed a short local flight and are returning to KVDF for landing. You are on a 5-mile final approach to Runway 23 (heading 222°), descending through 1,200 ft AGL at 90 KIAS (approach speed 60 KIAS target). The runway is in sight. You are configured: flaps 10°, prop full forward (2,000 RPM), mixture rich, carburetor heat OFF (you applied it during descent and confirmed no roughness).
At 400 ft AGL, 0.5 nm from the runway, you realize the approach is too high and too fast. The runway will require a slip or a go-around. You decide to go around. You advance the throttle to full power, pitch for climb, and raise the flaps to 0°. The prop is already full forward.
As you pitch up and advance the throttle, the engine does not respond as expected. Power is noticeably down — the tachometer is climbing slowly, the airspeed is not increasing, and the airplane is barely climbing. You are at 400 ft AGL, in a go-around, with partial power. The runway is ahead and below. You have seconds to decide: continue the go-around or land immediately.
Aircraft: Cessna 182 Skylane, solo, full fuel, within limits. Continental O-470, 230 hp, constant-speed prop, cowl flaps, carbureted. Nothing was written up; the airplane was airworthy at departure.
Pilot: you — a Commercial pilot, current, roughly 400 hours total, 8 hours in type (C182). You are current on high-performance aircraft. You did not apply carburetor heat during the go-around because you were focused on the pitch and power inputs.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KVDF · Tampa Executive'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '5/23 · 18/36'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '22 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'C182'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about the Cessna 182 and partial power loss on approach? (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 a partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. The aircraft was damaged; the pilot was uninjured.
NTSB CEN26LA009 (2025): A Cessna 182RG on a personal flight experienced engine problems during cruise 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 complexity of diagnosing engine failures in high-performance Cessnas — the constant-speed prop and engine systems interact in ways that can mask the root cause.
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, but the left wing struck a tree during landing roll, causing the aircraft to veer left, exit the roadway, and nose over. The pilot was seriously injured. The probable cause was not determined, but the sequence — partial power on approach, emergency landing, ground contact — is the exact trap this scenario explores.
The local environment at KVDF makes this scenario consequential: Runway 23's climb-out (heading 222°) has off-field terrain that includes pasture/hay, open water, and medium development. An engine failure on the Runway 23 departure at low altitude over open water is a ditching, not a field landing. Off Runway 05 (heading 042°), the environment is wooded wetland, medium development, and pasture — better options, but still challenging. Off Runway 18 (heading 180°), the environment is low-density development and wooded wetland — marginal. Off Runway 36 (heading 360°), the environment is open water and medium development — ditching risk.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at Tampa Executive Airport. KVDF has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns: 18.4% loss of control on ground, 18.4% hard landing, 15.8% forced landing), but these specific NTSB events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KVDF 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 during approach or go-around is insidious. The engine does not quit entirely — it runs rough and produces partial power. The pilot is tempted to continue the approach or go-around, hoping power will return. But if power does not return, the airplane is committed to a landing with insufficient power to climb out. The decision to abandon the go-around and land immediately, or to apply carb heat and attempt recovery, must be made in seconds — not minutes. At 400 ft AGL, the decision window is measured in 30 seconds.
Key lesson — In warm, moist Gulf Coast air, the C182's carbureted Continental O-470 can accumulate carburetor ice even at cruise power and above-freezing temperatures. A go-around from a high, fast approach is a critical moment: full throttle and pitch-up demand full engine response. If the engine does not respond — if power is partial and the tachometer is sluggish — apply full carburetor heat immediately. If power does not restore within 15 seconds, abandon the go-around and land on the runway you are closest to. At 400 ft AGL, the decision window is measured in seconds. Off Runway 23 at KVDF, open water is part of the off-field environment — a delayed decision means a ditching, not a field landing.
Debrief — teaching points
Carburetor ice forms in conditions you would not expect — and the C182 is particularly vulnerable.
The FAA icing probability chart shows serious icing risk at glide power at temperatures between roughly 20°C and 30°C when relative humidity is high — exactly the Gulf Coast afternoon conditions at KVDF. The C182's Continental O-470 is carbureted; it has no fuel injection, no alternate air system. Carburetor heat is the only tool. The engine is larger and more powerful than the 172, but it is equally susceptible to carb ice. A descent at reduced power in visible moisture or high humidity is a classic carb-ice setup.
A go-around is a critical moment — full throttle and pitch-up demand full engine response.
When you advance the throttle to full power on a go-around, the engine must respond immediately. If the tachometer climbs slowly, the airspeed does not increase, and the airplane is barely climbing, the engine is not responding as expected. This is not a minor anomaly — it is a critical failure. Apply carburetor heat immediately. If power does not restore within 15 seconds, abandon the go-around and land on the runway you are closest to. At 400 ft AGL, the decision window is measured in 30 seconds, not minutes.
The constant-speed propeller adds complexity — but carb heat is still the first response.
The C182's constant-speed propeller requires active pitch control and can mask engine problems by hunting for RPM. A rough engine or sluggish power response may be a prop issue, but in the context of warm, moist conditions and reduced power during descent, carburetor ice is the most likely culprit. Apply full carb heat first. If the engine clears and power returns, the ice was the problem. If the engine does not respond, then consider prop cycling or other diagnostics — but not at 400 ft AGL on a go-around.
The C182 is nose-heavy and carries more energy — a high, fast approach will float and porpoise.
The C182 is heavier and faster than the 172. A go-around abort from a high, fast approach requires aggressive management: forward slip to lose altitude and airspeed, or a combination of slip and partial flaps. A normal descent with flaps alone will be too shallow; the airplane will float and the nose will drop into a porpoise. The forward slip — lowering a wing and applying opposite rudder — is the correct technique. Practice it in training; use it in an emergency.
At KVDF, Runway 23's climb-out includes open water — an engine failure on departure is a ditching.
The off-field environment off Runway 23's climb-out (heading 222°) includes pasture/hay, open water, and medium development. An engine failure at low altitude over open water is a ditching, not a field landing. Best glide is 70 KIAS. Doors unlatched before water contact. 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 23.
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 approach, with OAT near 29°C and dew point near 23°C, and visible moisture or high humidity, that means applying carb heat during descent and confirming the expected RPM drop and recovery. Waiting for the roughness to appear at 400 ft AGL on a go-around is waiting too long.
A partial power loss is not a minor anomaly — it is a critical failure that demands immediate decision-making.
Partial power loss in the C182 during approach or go-around is insidious because the engine does not quit entirely — it runs rough and produces partial power. The pilot is tempted to continue the approach or go-around, hoping power will return. But if power does not return, the airplane is committed to a landing with insufficient power to climb out. The decision to abandon the go-around and land immediately, or to apply carb heat and attempt recovery, must be made in seconds. At 400 ft AGL, delay is not an option.
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 and forced landing), and WPR25LA292 (2025 C182N reduced power on approach, emergency landing). Anonymized and localized to Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF).
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.IV.A — Constant-Speed Propeller Operations
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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