Bounced Landing, Go-Around, and the Stall Trap
A C172S go-around after a landing bounce at low altitude — the decision to push forward and maintain airspeed is the entire lesson
The scenario
Departing Venice Municipal Airport (KVNC), Venice, FL — Runway 13, landing practice on a clear, calm afternoon. Elevation 18 ft MSL; runway length 5,640 ft. Outside air temperature 26°C, altimeter 29.92, wind 150° at 4 knots — nearly calm. Visibility 10 SM. Scattered clouds at 3,500 ft. A textbook VFR day for landing practice.
You are on short final to Runway 13, descending through 200 ft AGL at 65 KIAS (Vref — approach speed). The runway is long and wide. You are solo, within weight and balance limits. The Cessna 172S's Lycoming IO-360-L2A is running smoothly at idle power. You have flown this approach a dozen times.
The landing is not smooth. The airplane touches down, bounces — a modest bounce, not violent — and you are airborne again at roughly 100 ft AGL. The bounce was your error: a slightly nose-high attitude on touchdown, a touch too much back pressure. Now you have a choice: slip it back down and accept a firm landing, or execute a go-around.
Aircraft: Cessna 172S, solo, full fuel, within limits. Glass panel (G1000), fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360-L2A, fixed-pitch prop, fixed gear. The airplane is airworthy and performing normally.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 250 hours total. You have practiced go-arounds in training, but not many in the last 50 hours. You are comfortable with the airplane. You have not practiced the stall recovery procedure in the last 6 months.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KVNC · Venice'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '4/22 · 13/31'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '18 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'C172S'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — 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. The accident resulted from 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 aircraft exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall.
The common thread across all these accidents: a go-around at low altitude is a stall trap if the pilot applies excessive back pressure or fails to maintain airspeed. The C172S stalls at 40 KIAS (Vs0) in landing configuration. At 100 ft AGL, there is no altitude to recover. The decision to maintain a shallow pitch, focus on airspeed, and let the airplane climb naturally is the entire lesson.
These real accidents occurred at other airports and in other contexts — NOT at Venice Municipal Airport (KVNC). KVNC's dominant accident pattern is loss of control in flight (24.4%), forced landing (12.2%), and spatial disorientation (12.2%). This scenario is localized to KVNC to make the landing environment and the go-around decision real and consequential for you as a student here.
Key lesson — A go-around after a landing bounce at low altitude is a stall trap if you apply excessive back pressure. The C172S's Vs0 (stall speed in landing configuration) is 40 KIAS. At 100 ft AGL, there is no altitude to recover from a stall. Establish a shallow pitch, apply full power, and maintain airspeed above 65 KIAS (Vref). Let the airplane climb naturally. Aggressive back pressure kills more pilots in go-arounds than any other factor.
Debrief — teaching points
A go-around is a power-on climb, not a pitch-up maneuver.
The correct go-around technique is: (1) apply full throttle, (2) establish a shallow climb attitude (not aggressive back pressure), (3) maintain airspeed above Vref (65 KIAS in the C172S), and (4) retract flaps in stages as altitude and airspeed increase. The engine provides the climb performance — your job is to manage the pitch attitude and airspeed. Aggressive back pressure on the yoke does not increase climb rate; it decreases airspeed and induces a stall. The NTSB CEN14CA322 pilot pulled back hard on the yoke after a bounce and stalled at 100 ft AGL. The C172S cannot recover from a stall below 200 ft AGL.
Vs0 (stall speed in landing configuration) is 40 KIAS in the C172S.
With flaps at 30° (landing configuration), the C172S stalls at 40 KIAS. Vref (approach speed) is 65 KIAS — a 25 KIAS margin above the stall. During a go-around, maintain airspeed above 65 KIAS until flaps are retracted. Once flaps are at 0°, Vs (stall speed clean) is 48 KIAS, and you have more margin. At 100 ft AGL, a stall is unrecoverable. Airspeed is your lifeline.
Flap retraction in stages prevents pitch-up and stall.
When you retract flaps, you lose lift and the nose pitches down. If you retract flaps all at once at low altitude, the sudden pitch-down can cause you to instinctively pull back on the yoke — and that back pressure can induce a stall. Retract flaps in stages: 20° first, then 10°, then 0°. As each stage is retracted, airspeed increases slightly, and the pitch change is manageable. Use trim to reduce control pressure — fighting the yoke during a go-around increases fatigue and the risk of inadvertent stall.
A bounced landing on a long runway is not an emergency.
KVNC's Runway 13 is 5,640 ft long. A bounce at 100 ft AGL leaves you with 5,000+ ft of runway ahead. Slipping back down and accepting a firm landing is a conservative, defensible decision. A go-around is appropriate if the bounce is severe or if you are low on the runway, but a modest bounce on a long runway can be landed. Know your runway length and your options before you commit to a go-around.
Trim is your friend in a go-around.
As you apply full power and pitch up for the climb, the airplane will want to pitch up further (increased power, increased lift). Use nose-down trim to reduce the back-pressure requirement. This reduces fatigue, improves control precision, and reduces the risk of inadvertent stall from excessive back pressure. Trim is not optional in a go-around — it is essential.
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 stall during go-around), ERA14FA283 (2014 C172S fatal stall on return-to-airport after partial power loss), and WPR12FA230 (2012 C172S stall on aggressive pitch-up after takeoff). Localized to Venice Municipal Airport (KVNC), Florida.
NTSB reports: CEN25LA128 · CEN14CA322 · CEN13LA348 · ERA14FA283 · WPR12FA230
ACS tasks: PA.II.F — Landing · PA.II.G — Go-Around / Rejected Landing · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.VIII.A — Stall / Spin Awareness
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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