Nil Flaps, good thread lots of good replies just to repeat what every one else had said good decision better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air rather than the other way round.
As for the fluffed shutdown drill why did it happen ?welcome to the key to safe flying, my pet subject human performance and limitations or HPL.
I wont try and explain the whole subject but basically you have something called the stress/performance curve because of your limited experience you would have already been right at the top of the curve the engine splutter forced you over into brain meltdown teritory which is why you failed to shut down the engine properly,take it as a good lesson.
Engine failiures dont kill people they kill themselves because they panic,stall and hit the ground, read accident reports " the aircraft engine was heard to stop shortly after take off then the nose pitched up then dropped the aircraft the desended into the ground" basically the engine quit and so did the poor souls brain shortly after, instead of shoving the nose down and getting some glide distance they paniced (easy for me to say sitting on the ground I know).
But HPL truly is the key to safe flying use it in your nav planning think of your workload not just the route use it when joining the circuit to a new airfield eg 1 stage of flap 2100 rpm 80kts slow everything down give yourself time and most importantly learn to spot the early signs of brain shutdown and address the issue by reducing workload.
You have enviromental stress eg flying itself and induced stress which is what we bring on ourselves for example trying to be to perfect or having unreasonable goals.
I could waffle on all day but listen dont worry about he other day we all have our stories to tell, learn from it HPL factors the importance of check lists etc and dont forget the important fact that your reactive decsion eg aborting the touch and go was spot on you cant teach people that split second decsion making they can either do it or they cant.
happy and safe flying to you all.
