N42862

On September 20, 2002, approximately 2030 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182L, N42862, impacted the terrain during an attempted landing on the taxiway at McCall Airport, McCall, Idaho. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed by a post-crash fire. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which departed The Dalles, Oregon, about 1800 Pacific daylight time, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. There was no report of an ELT activation. No flight plan was filed.

According to the pilot, prior to leaving The Dalles, he received a briefing from flight service, during which he was advised that the runway at McCall was closed for construction activities, but that during daylight hours aircraft could land on the taxiway. The pilot reported that when he arrived at McCall, it was dusk, but he could still see the runway environment. He therefore decided to make his approach to runway 34 and then sidestep for a landing on the parallel taxiway. Although the approach to the runway and the side-step to align with the taxiway were uneventful, as the pilot was attempting to flare for the landing on the taxiway, he allowed the airspeed to get too low, and the aircraft descended onto the taxiway surface at an excessive rate, resulting in a hard bounced landing. As the aircraft touched down a second time, it was misaligned with the taxiway centerline, and as the pilot was trying to reestablish directional control, the aircraft departed the taxiway and impacted a nearby ditch. During the accident sequence a small fire started, and because the pilot had no means by which to extinguish it, the fire eventually consumed almost the entire aircraft.

According to the pilot, there was no indication that there had been any mechanical malfunction or anomaly that had contributed to the accident.