Bounce and Recover — Gusty Wind Go-Around
A bounced landing in crosswind gusts demands an immediate, coordinated go-around — delay costs you airspeed and control authority at the worst altitude
The scenario
Departing Tampa North Aero Park (X39), Tampa, FL — Runway 14, on final approach in gusty crosswind conditions. Elevation 68 ft MSL. The field is non-towered (CTAF); you self-announce on 122.775 MHz.
It is a warm Florida afternoon: OAT 29°C, wind reported from 160° at 12 knots gusting to 20 knots. Runway 14's magnetic heading is 141°. The wind is a right crosswind — roughly 8–10 knots of crosswind component, with gusts pushing toward 15 knots. Visibility is good, scattered clouds at 2,500 ft. You are VFR, well within limits.
You are on final approach to Runway 14, 200 ft AGL, 70 KIAS (Vref for the PA-28-180), flaps 40° (full landing), gear down (fixed), trim set for approach. The approach has been stable until the last 500 feet. Now the wind is gusting. The airplane is drifting left of the centerline, then a gust pushes you right. You correct with aileron and rudder, but the energy is chaotic.
At 50 ft AGL, a strong gust from the right pushes the left wing down and the nose left. You correct with right aileron and right rudder. The airplane settles. You are now 30 ft AGL, 68 KIAS, still on a shallow descent toward the runway. The touchdown zone is ahead.
Aircraft: Piper PA-28-180, solo, full fuel, within limits. Carbureted Lycoming O-360-A, 180 hp, fixed-pitch prop, fixed gear, steam panel. Nothing was written up; the airplane is airworthy.
Pilot: you — a Private pilot, current, roughly 250 hours total. You have landed at X39 before, but never in wind this gusty. You have practiced go-arounds in training, but not in crosswind gusts at 30 ft AGL. Your CFI is not on board; this is a solo flight.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'X39 · Tampa North Aero Park'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '14/32'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '68 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28-180'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Takeoff / Landing'}
The decision
Before the decision tree — what do you know about go-around procedures in the PA-28-180? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB WPR25LA275 (2025): A Piper PA-28-180 on a personal flight experienced a delayed go-around from an unstabilized approach with inadequate airspeed, resulting in a hard landing, bounce, and nose-over on a dirt mound. The probable cause was the pilot's delayed go-around decision from an unstabilized approach. The pilot did not commit to go-around until after touchdown and bounce — by then, altitude and airspeed options were exhausted.
NTSB CEN24LA323 (2024): A Piper PA-28 flown by a student pilot on a solo cross-country flight drifted left of the runway centerline on final approach and struck a fence during an attempted go-around. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the approach and subsequent go-around. The go-around was initiated, but directional control was lost — the airplane drifted left and struck the fence.
NTSB CEN21LA291 (2021): A Piper PA-28-180 on an instructional flight encountered a strong right-to-left wind gust during landing approach. The instructor initiated a go-around but failed to maintain control. The left wing struck the ground. The probable cause was the flight instructor's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing flare and subsequent attempted go-around with a strong quartering crosswind.
NTSB ATL07CA048 (2007): A Mooney M20J stalled during a go-around at 20–30 ft AGL with landing gear and flaps extended, striking the ground in an uncontrolled descent. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the go-around and inadequate adherence to the aircraft's operating procedures. The pilot pitched up aggressively to climb away from the ground, stalled, and impacted.
The consistent thread: go-around accidents in gusty crosswind conditions result from delayed decision-making, aggressive pitch-up that induces stall, or failure to maintain directional control. The critical window is 30–50 ft AGL. If the approach is unstable at that altitude, the decision to go-around must be made immediately — not after touchdown, not after a bounce. Full power, positive pitch (not aggressive), flaps retracted in stages, and airspeed maintained above Vy (74 KIAS in the PA-28-180) are the keys.
Tampa North Aero Park (X39) is a non-towered field with a single 3,541 ft runway. The off-field environment off both runway ends is medium development, low-density development, and wooded wetland — not open fields or roads. A loss-of-control accident on the runway or just beyond it is survivable if the airplane remains upright; a cartwheel or stall-spin impact is not. The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports — NOT at X39. But the conditions (gusty crosswind, low-altitude go-around, loss of control) are the same.
The lesson is universal: commit to go-around early, execute it decisively with full power and coordinated control, and prioritize airspeed maintenance over pitch attitude. In the PA-28-180, that means Vy = 74 KIAS. Do not stall trying to climb away from the ground.
Key lesson — Go-around decisions must be made early — at 30–50 ft AGL, before the approach becomes unstable. Once committed, execute with full throttle, positive (not aggressive) pitch, and flaps retracted in stages. Airspeed is the priority: maintain Vy (74 KIAS) or above. In gusty crosswind conditions, directional control is critical — use coordinated aileron and rudder to correct for gusts, not aggressive pitch changes. A stall at 20–30 ft AGL during go-around is fatal.
Debrief — teaching points
The decision to go-around must be made early — at 30–50 ft AGL, before the approach becomes unstable.
In the PA-28-180, Vref (approach speed) is 70 KIAS. If the approach is unstable — drifting off centerline, airspeed below Vref, descent rate too high, or wind gusts pushing the airplane around — the decision to go-around must be made immediately, not after touchdown. Once the airplane is on the ground or bouncing, altitude and airspeed options are exhausted. NTSB WPR25LA275 is a textbook example: the pilot delayed the go-around decision until after a hard landing and bounce. By then, there was no recovery. Commit early.
Go-around execution in the PA-28-180: full throttle, positive pitch (not aggressive), flaps 40° to 20°, then 20° to 0° after establishing climb.
Full power: 180 hp Lycoming O-360-A. Pitch attitude: aim for Vy climb (74 KIAS), not a stall-inducing pitch-up. Flaps: retract from 40° (landing) to 20° immediately, then to 0° only after positive climb is established and airspeed is above Vy. Do not retract flaps to 0° while airspeed is still below Vy — the sudden loss of flap lift will cause a pitch-down and airspeed bleed. Trim: approach trim will be nose-heavy for climb; re-trim after establishing climb to reduce control pressure.
Airspeed is the priority during go-around, not altitude.
A common error in go-around accidents is aggressive pitch-up to 'climb away from the ground.' In the PA-28-180 with flaps extended, the stall speed is higher than clean stall (Vs0 = 53 KIAS clean, but with 40° flaps it is roughly 48–50 KIAS). If airspeed drops below Vy (74 KIAS) during go-around, the airplane is marginal on stall margin. The correct response is to lower the nose slightly to accelerate to Vy, then re-establish climb pitch. Altitude will follow. NTSB ATL07CA048 is a fatal example: the pilot pitched up aggressively, stalled at 20–30 ft AGL, and impacted.
In gusty crosswind conditions, directional control is critical — use coordinated aileron and rudder, not aggressive pitch changes.
A crosswind gust during landing can roll the wing down and yaw the nose. The correct response is coordinated aileron and rudder input to level the wings and maintain heading. Do not respond to a gust with aggressive pitch changes — that will bleed airspeed and risk stall. NTSB CEN21LA291 documents this: the instructor initiated a go-around in a strong crosswind gust but failed to maintain directional control. The left wing struck the ground. Coordinate your inputs; do not over-control.
X39 is non-towered and has a single 3,541 ft runway. The off-field environment is medium development, low-density development, and wooded wetland — not open fields.
If a loss-of-control accident occurs on the runway or just beyond it, the outcome depends on whether the airplane remains upright or cartwheels. A cartwheel or stall-spin impact is not survivable. The runway is your only safe surface. Commit to go-around early, execute decisively, and maintain control. Do not attempt to land through an unstable approach in gusty conditions.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB WPR25LA275 (2025 PA-28-180 delayed go-around / hard landing), CEN24LA323 (2024 PA-28 loss of directional control go-around), CEN21LA291 (2021 PA-28-180 go-around loss of control in crosswind gust), CEN13CA247 (2013 PA-28-180 loss of directional control aborted landing), and regional precedents ATL07CA048, ERA20CA072, CEN09CA459, LAX07CA256. Anonymized and localized to Tampa North Aero Park (X39).
NTSB reports: WPR25LA275 · CEN24LA323 · CEN21LA291 · CEN13CA247 · ATL07CA048 · ERA20CA072 · CEN09CA459 · LAX07CA256
ACS tasks: PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.VII.C — Approach and Landing · PA.VII.D — Go-Around / Rejected Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.II.C — Flight Controls
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.103
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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