Bounced Landing, Gusty Wind, and the Go-Around Trap

Departing Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (KZPH), Zephyrhills, FL — Runway 19, on a warm afternoon in late July. Field elevation 90 ft MSL. You are a commercial pilot with roughly 450 hours total time, current and proficient in the DA40. This is a local instructional flight with a student pilot in the right seat.

Weather: OAT 34°C, dew point 24°C, altimeter 29.89. Density altitude approximately 2,100 ft — well above field elevation. Winds are from 200° at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots. That is a direct crosswind to Runway 19 (true heading 180°) — roughly 12 knots crosswind component, gusting to 18. Visibility 10 SM, scattered clouds at 3,500 ft AGL. Classic Florida summer thermal activity — the kind of day where the air is choppy and the wind is variable.

You are on approach to Runway 19 (5,072 ft, asphalt). The student is flying the airplane under your instruction. On short final, the student has the airplane set up at 70 KIAS (Vref), flaps 20° (landing configuration), power at idle, descent rate 300 ft/min. The runway is made. The landing looks stable.

At 20 feet AGL, a gust lifts the right wing. The student corrects with left aileron and a touch of left rudder. The airplane drifts left of centerline. At 10 feet AGL, the student over-corrects with right aileron. The airplane bounces — a firm landing, then becomes airborne again at 8 feet AGL, still left of centerline. The student is now 15 feet AGL, airborne, with flaps 20° and the airplane drifting left.

Aircraft: Diamond DA40, single-pilot capable, full fuel, within limits. Constant-speed prop (RPM management required), fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360-M1A, fixed gear, G1000 glass panel. Fuel selector is LEFT (the right tank is full; the left tank is full). The student has not yet made a decision: go around or try to land again.

Your role: You are the instructor. The student is flying. You have a few seconds to decide whether to take control, call for a go-around, or let the student attempt another landing. The decision you make — and how you execute it — will determine the outcome.

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 from the pilot's decision to abort the go-around without adequate runway distance and his failure to accurately communicate his intentions to air traffic control. The probable cause was the pilot's poor decision-making and inadequate runway planning.

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 accident resulted from the pilot's failure to maintain runway heading and bank control in crosswind conditions. The lesson: crosswind gusts demand active, smooth control inputs. Over-correction is the trap.

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 accident resulted from the pilot's delayed decision to go around in high-temperature and high-density altitude conditions and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack. The probable cause: failure to recognize an unstable approach and delayed go-around decision.

NTSB ATL07CA048 (2007, Mooney M20J): A stall during a go-around at 20–30 feet AGL with landing gear and flaps extended. The pilot failed to maintain airspeed during the go-around. The lesson: recognize when a go-around is necessary, commit to proper flap/gear retraction sequence, and maintain airspeed priority over terrain avoidance.

NTSB ERA20CA072 (2020, Beech C23): A bounced landing in crosswind conditions became airborne, and the airplane entered a full stall during the go-around despite full power and flaps. The flight instructor's delayed intervention allowed the stall to develop. The lesson: recognize full-stall entry during go-around in gusty conditions; understand that full power alone is insufficient if pitch attitude is too high; intervene early.

NTSB CEN09CA459 (2009, Cessna 172P): A floated landing in gusty winds led to a go-around stall at low altitude when the pilot set climb pitch attitude without maintaining adequate airspeed. The lesson: during go-around in gusty conditions, prioritize airspeed over climb pitch; retract flaps gradually while maintaining safe airspeed.

NTSB GAA16CA106 (2016, Piper PA-28RT): A stall during a go-around at 50 feet AGL in gusting crosswind conditions. The probable cause: the student pilot's exceedance of the aircraft's critical angle-of-attack during the go-around. The lesson: avoid simultaneous aggressive pitch-up and power application; establish positive rate of climb with level or slightly nose-up pitch before increasing pitch attitude.

The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at KZPH. However, KZPH's own accident corpus shows FORCED_LANDING (29.2%), LOSS_OF_CONTROL_INFLIGHT (29.2%), and STALL_SPIN (16.7%) as dominant patterns. Gusty crosswind conditions at KZPH are common in summer thermal activity. The scenario is localized to KZPH to make the off-field environment real and the decision window consequential for you as a student here.

The consistent thread across all these events: a bounced landing or unstable approach triggers a go-around decision. The go-around itself is where the loss of control occurs. The trap is always the same: the pilot increases pitch attitude without first establishing positive rate of climb and safe airspeed. In the DA40, the constant-speed prop adds a layer of complexity — the prop control must be advanced to full RPM, not just the throttle. Flaps must be retracted gradually. Airspeed is the priority. Pitch attitude is secondary.