Bounce and Go-Around at Tampa Executive

Departing Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF), Tampa, FL — Runway 23, on a local practice flight. Elevation 22 ft MSL. It is a clear, calm afternoon: OAT 26°C, winds calm to light, altimeter 29.98. Visibility 10 SM. KVDF is non-towered (CTAF 118.3); you are in Class G airspace, but the overlying Tampa Class B begins at 3,000 ft MSL.

You are on your third landing of the session, practicing touch-and-go landings to build proficiency. The first two landings were stable and smooth. This one is different: you touch down on Runway 23 (heading 222°), but the airplane bounces — a firm bounce, not a gentle one. You are at roughly 50 ft AGL when the main gear leaves the pavement again. The runway stretches ahead; you have room to land again or go around.

Aircraft: Cessna 172S, solo, within weight and balance limits. Lycoming IO-360-L2A fuel-injected engine, 180 hp, fixed-pitch prop, fixed gear. G1000 glass panel with reversionary instruments. Full fuel, no mechanical issues. The airplane is airworthy.

Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 180 hours total. You have 12 hours in the C172S; most of your time is in a 172N (carbureted). You are familiar with the go-around procedure in principle, but you have not practiced it extensively in the C172S. You are concentrating on the landing and did not brief a go-around contingency before this approach.

The off-field environment off Runway 23's departure end (heading 222°) is pasture/hay, open water, and medium development — a mix of open field and water. Off Runway 05's departure end (heading 42°) is wooded wetland, medium development, and pasture. Neither is ideal for a forced landing, but Runway 23's off-field is slightly better for an engine-out scenario. The key now is the go-around decision and execution.

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, which 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. The student did not maintain adequate airspeed during the go-around.

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. The pilots' decision to turn back to the airport led the aircraft to exceed its critical angle of attack and experience an aerodynamic stall. The probable cause was a partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, with contributing factors including 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.

The common thread across all these accidents: a go-around at low altitude after a bounced landing or engine anomaly, combined with excessive back pressure on the yoke or an aggressive pitch-up, leads to a stall at insufficient altitude for recovery. The Cessna 172S stalls at 40 KIAS in landing configuration (flaps 30°) and 48 KIAS in clean configuration. At 50–75 ft AGL, there is no altitude margin for a stall recovery.

These real accidents occurred at other airports — Grand Forks International, Daytona Beach, and others — NOT at Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF). KVDF's own accident history shows a dominant pattern of loss-of-control-ground (18.4%), hard landings (18.4%), and forced landings (15.8%). The scenario is localized to KVDF to make the decision and the off-field environment real for you as a student here.

The lesson: a go-around is a critical maneuver at low altitude. Gentle pitch, adequate power, and airspeed management are non-negotiable. Aggressive back pressure is the killer — it trades altitude for pitch attitude, and at 50 ft AGL, you have no altitude to trade.