Three Go-Arounds at Hobby Ended in a Stall

A crowded pattern became progressively harder to manage

The sequence at William P. Hobby Airport became progressively more demanding before the fatal loss of control. On 9 June 2016, Cirrus SR20 N4252G arrived in Houston with three people aboard and entered a busy Class B traffic environment. The aircraft did not complete its first approach, and it remained in the pattern while airline traffic was being sequenced around it.

Three approaches, increasingly complex instructions

What stands out in the recorded sequence is the number of go-arounds before the final approach. The initial local controller instructed two go-arounds: the first because an air carrier was overtaking the Cirrus, and the second after the Cirrus was too high to land safely. A controller change then occurred before the third approach. The pilot again could not descend sufficiently and initiated another go-around, during which the new controller issued a lengthy clearance.

The stall developed during the go-around

The decisive aircraft-handling event occurred during that final go-around. Recorded data showed the pilot raising the flaps while the Cirrus was turning left at about 58 knots indicated airspeed. The recommended procedure called for approximately 81–83 knots before flap retraction. At the lower speed, raising the flaps increased the angle of attack beyond the critical value, leading to an accelerated aerodynamic stall and spin into terrain.

ATC contributed to the workload, but the cause was specific

The investigation did not treat the ATC sequence as the official cause. It found the instructions complex and potentially distracting, noted that the first controller could have transferred the aircraft for resequencing, and found the second controller’s lengthy clearance unnecessary during the critical maneuver. Those were contributing factors. The official probable cause remained the pilot’s improper go-around procedure and failure to establish a safe airspeed before raising the flaps.

NTSB investigation record CEN16FA211.

The Final Finding Focused on the Go-Around

The NTSB probable-cause finding states: ‘The pilot's improper go-around procedure that did not ensure that the airplane was at a safe airspeed before raising the flaps, which resulted in exceedance of the critical angle of attack and resulted in an accelerated aerodynamic stall and spin into terrain.’

Sources

• NTSB final report CEN16FA211: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/93351/pdf