Cessna 182L accident near Donnelly, Idaho, June 26, 2002
On June 26, 2002 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182L, registered N42505, was destroyed in an accident near Donnelly, Idaho (Donnelly airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to arrest an excessive descent rate during an attempted landing, and his inadequate recovery from a bounced landing. Factors include a high density altitude , and trees near the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2002 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Donnelly, Idaho · Donnelly · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182L · all 182Ls on the register
- Registration
- N42505 · registry record · serial 18259046
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who had set up a 600 to 700 foot per minute rate of descent in order to practice a "canyon approach" to a high density altitude turf airstrip, failed to add enough power to sufficiently arrest the descent rate prior to touchdown. The aircraft therefore hit the runway hard and bounced back into the air. At that point the pilot added full power and tried to push the nose down against the force of significant nose up trim. During his attempt to maintain control of the aircraft and get it back onto the runway, the airplane drifted to the left and collided with some nearby trees. Soon after the impact, the aircraft caught on fire, and although both occupants were able to escape, the aircraft was destroyed by fire. The density altitude was determined to be approximately 6,000 feet.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 192 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 30, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Flight instructor
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,290 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2002; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MYL Mccall ID at 12:15 pm
- Destination: U84 Donnelly ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,500 ft by 125 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.