Gusty Crosswind at Tampa North — Directional Control on Landing
A constant-speed prop, slippery airframe, and a narrowing runway in gusting wind — the decision to go around must come early
The scenario
Departing Tampa North Aero Park Airport (X39), Tampa, FL — Runway 14, elevation 68 ft MSL. You are a commercial pilot / flight instructor on a local instructional flight with a student pilot in the right seat. The student has logged roughly 45 hours and is working on landing technique in variable conditions.
Current conditions: VFR, scattered clouds at 2,500 ft, visibility 10 SM. Surface wind is reported by CTAF as 180° at 12 knots, gusting to 18 knots. Runway 14 is aligned 141° true; the wind is roughly 40° off the runway heading — a significant crosswind component of approximately 9–11 knots steady, gusting to 15 knots. The runway is 3,541 ft long, 75 ft wide, asphalt. X39 is non-towered Class G airspace; you are operating on CTAF.
You are on a 2-mile final approach to Runway 14 at 73 KIAS (best glide / approach speed for the DA40), descending through 400 ft AGL. The student is flying; you are monitoring. The constant-speed prop is set to high RPM (2,500), the fuel selector is on the RIGHT tank (you switched to the right tank 30 minutes ago after burning the left tank down to 8 gallons; the left tank now has 8 gallons, the right has 18 gallons). Flaps are at 15° (approach setting). The DA40 is a slippery airframe — it floats in ground effect and requires active energy management on approach.
The wind is variable: you see a gust indicator on the G1000 showing 18 knots, then a lull to 10 knots. The runway is ahead. The student is concentrating on the approach; you are monitoring for safety.
Pilot (you): Commercial pilot / flight instructor, 1,200+ hours, current. You know the DA40 well — its slippery nature, the constant-speed prop, the fuel selector's LEFT/RIGHT requirement (no BOTH option), and the crosswind limits. You are responsible for the safety of this flight and the student's training.
Student: 45 hours, Private pilot, working on landing technique. This is the student's third landing attempt today. The first two were acceptable but not smooth. The student is eager to land and get this one right.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'X39 · Tampa North Aero Park'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '14/32'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '68 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'DA40'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Takeoff / Landing'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you know about crosswind landings in the DA40 and when to go around? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB ERA21LA039 (2020): A Diamond DA40 on a Part 91 supervised solo instructional flight lost directional control during landing when the aircraft bounced and drifted left. The student pilot's attempt to abort the landing was unsuccessful, and the aircraft struck a taxiway sign and cartwheeled before impacting a security fence. The probable cause was the pilot's loss of directional control while landing, which resulted in a runway excursion. The accident was fatal.
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 airplane veered off the runway and struck a concrete barrier.
NTSB GAA19CA038 (2018): A Diamond DA40 flown by a solo student pilot experienced a runway excursion and struck a taxiway sign after landing with excessive speed. The accident was attributed to the student pilot's excessive taxi speed during a turn from the runway to a taxiway, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a taxiway sign.
Regional precedent NTSB GAA17CA105 (2016): A Piper PA-46 experienced loss of directional control during landing rollout in gusting crosswind conditions that exceeded the aircraft's demonstrated crosswind capability. The accident resulted from the pilot's loss of directional control during the aborted landing in gusting crosswind conditions. The lesson: recognize when crosswind conditions exceed aircraft limits and commit to go-around early rather than continuing to fight directional control during rollout.
Regional precedent NTSB ERA21LA119 (2021): A Cessna 172R on a personal flight veered left off the runway during landing in gusting crosswind conditions and struck the ground with the propeller and left wing tip. The accident was attributed to the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing in a gusting crosswind. The lesson: understand that technique adjustments (reduced flaps, extra airspeed) have limits; recognize when conditions exceed personal minimums and execute a go-around before losing control.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at Tampa North Aero Park (X39). X39 has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns: LOSS_OF_CONTROL_INFLIGHT 27.3%, LOSS_OF_CONTROL_GROUND 18.2%), but these specific events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to X39 to make the off-field environment and runway geometry real for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: a go-around decision must be made early — before the airplane is in ground effect, before the bounce, before the drift becomes unrecoverable. Once the airplane is 50 ft AGL, drifting, and fighting the wind, a go-around is harder and riskier. The correct decision is to recognize marginal conditions and commit to a go-around while you have altitude and energy. The DA40's slippery nature and constant-speed prop require active management; a bounced landing in a crosswind is unrecoverable at low altitude.
Key lesson — The DA40's demonstrated crosswind capability is 12 knots. Gusts above 15 knots total wind speed make the crosswind component unpredictable and exceed the demonstrated limit. Recognize when conditions exceed the aircraft's capability and commit to a go-around early — before you are in ground effect, before the bounce, before the drift becomes unrecoverable. At X39 Runway 14, a loss of directional control on landing means a runway excursion into the off-field environment (medium development, low-density development, wooded wetland). The decision to go around must come at 200 ft AGL or higher, not at 50 ft AGL when the airplane is drifting and you are out of options.
Debrief — teaching points
The DA40's demonstrated crosswind capability is 12 knots; gusts above 15 knots exceed it.
The DA40 POH specifies a demonstrated crosswind capability of 12 knots. When the total wind speed is gusting above 15 knots, the crosswind component becomes unpredictable and exceeds the demonstrated limit. A 40° crosswind at 12 G18 knots (like the conditions in this scenario) has a steady crosswind component of 9–11 knots and gusts to 15 knots — right at the edge of capability. Recognize these conditions early and either divert to a runway with a smaller crosswind component or go around and wait for conditions to improve. Do not attempt to land in marginal crosswind conditions on a training flight.
The DA40 is slippery and floats in ground effect — energy management matters.
The DA40's low-drag airframe means it floats in ground effect. On approach, you must manage pitch and power actively to avoid floating down the runway. In a crosswind, this floating tendency makes directional control harder — the airplane drifts while you are trying to slow it down. Reduce flaps gradually (not all at once) and manage power smoothly to avoid a long, drifting landing. In gusty crosswind conditions, this is a recipe for a bounce or excursion.
The constant-speed prop requires active RPM management — do not neglect it.
The DA40's constant-speed prop requires you to manage RPM (prop pitch) separately from throttle. On approach, the prop should be at high RPM (2,500) for maximum control authority. If you neglect prop management or set it too low, you lose engine responsiveness and control authority when you need it most — on approach in gusty wind. Set the prop to high RPM and leave it there until you are on the ground.
The fuel selector is LEFT/RIGHT (no BOTH) — active management is required.
The DA40 has no BOTH position on the fuel selector. You must actively manage LEFT/RIGHT tank selection. A mis-set or empty selected tank causes fuel starvation — a catastrophic failure at low altitude. Before every approach, confirm which tank is selected and that it has fuel. In this scenario, the RIGHT tank was selected with 18 gallons; the LEFT tank had 8 gallons. If the RIGHT tank had been empty, the engine would have quit on final approach. Manage the fuel selector actively and confirm tank status before every approach.
A go-around decision must be made early — before ground effect, before the bounce.
The critical decision point in a crosswind landing is at 200 ft AGL or higher. If the approach is unstable, if the wind is gusting and you are drifting, if the airplane is not aligned with the runway — go around. Do not wait until you are 50 ft AGL, in ground effect, and fighting a bouncing airplane. Once the airplane bounces in a crosswind, the outcome is an excursion or a hard landing. The go-around decision must come early, when you have altitude and energy. This is the lesson from ERA21LA039, GAA19CA582, and the regional precedents: commit to the go-around before it is too late.
If the airplane bounces on landing, go around immediately — do not attempt to salvage it.
A bounce in a crosswind is a warning sign. The airplane is not in control. If the airplane bounces and drifts left (or right), the correct response is to go around immediately — advance the throttle, reduce flaps to 0°, and climb at 66 KIAS (Vy). Do not attempt to plant the airplane on the runway with forward pressure on the yoke. A hard landing on a bounce can cause structural damage and loss of control. Go around and try again.
Use the other runway if available — do not force a marginal approach.
X39 has two runways: 14/32. If the wind is gusting and the crosswind component exceeds the demonstrated capability on Runway 14, use Runway 32 instead. A 40° crosswind on Runway 14 becomes a 140° crosswind on Runway 32 — a much smaller crosswind component. If you have the option, use the runway that offers the better wind alignment. This is not a failure; it is airmanship.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB ERA21LA039 (2020 DA40 loss of directional control on landing, student bounce and drift), GAA19CA582 (2019 DA40 aborted go-around with insufficient runway), and GAA19CA038 (2018 DA40 excessive taxi speed / runway excursion). Regional precedents: GAA17CA105 (2016 PA-46 crosswind loss of control), ERA21LA119 (2021 C172R crosswind landing), GAA19CA170 (2019 PA-11 tailwheel crosswind rollout), ERA10CA448 (2010 C182E crosswind nose-over). Localized to Tampa North Aero Park (X39).
NTSB reports: GAA19CA582 · ERA21LA039 · GAA19CA038 · GAA17CA105 · ERA21LA119 · GAA19CA170 · ERA10CA448
ACS tasks: PA.II.E — Approach and Landing · PA.II.F — Go-Around / Rejected Landing · PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.205
Step through the full decision tree, make the calls, and see where each choice leads — then debrief it with your CFI.
Open the interactive scenario →All sample scenarios · More Diamond DA40 scenarios · More scenarios at X39