Jail Evacuated, Pilot Seriously Hurt
A student pilot practicing
touch-and-goes in Farmington (NM) apparently lost power Thursday
night, causing his plane to pile into a police building near Four
Corners Regional Airport. The student-pilot, who's not yet been
identified, was seriously injured, according to local
authorities.
"I was pulling into the back entrance of the police department
when a plane was on coming on a northwestern approach to the
airport and appeared to have lost power and fell straight into the
north end of the building of the Farmington police department,"
said one police sergeant.
The aircraft impacted a part of the building that houses the
detective unit, according to Fire Marshal Herb Veazey.
"There’s some structural damage inside the building a lot of
glass and debris strewn about...bent and twisted I-beams inside the
office area," says Veazey. "We have a lot of fuel leaking down
inside the building."
Ten prisoners detained in a holding area had to be evacuated
from the building. They were sent to the San Juan County Detention
Center. None of them was hurt.
The unidentified pilot reportedly had serious head and facial
injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for emergency
treatment. The pilot is expected to survive.
Crews worked through the night to remove the B36 Bonanza from
the building, saying it was remarkably intact, considering the
force of the impact.
FAA Preliminary Accident Report
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 8240U
Make/Model: BE36 Description: 36
Bonanza
Date: 01/23/2004 Time: 0215
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Serious Mid Air: N
Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City:
FARMINGTON
State: NM Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING, WHILE ON
LEFT DOWNWIND FOR
APPROACH TO RUNWAY 25 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY, ONE
PERSON ON BOARD
RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, FARMINGTON, NM
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat:
0 Ser:
1 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: SPECI KFMN 230225Z 34003KT 10SM SKC 00/M05 A3030 RMK
A02
OTHER DATA
Activity: Training Phase:
Approach Operation: General
Aviation
Departed: FARMINGTON,
NM
Dep Date: 01/23/2004 Dep.
Time:
Destination: FARMINGTON,
NM Flt
Plan: UNK Wx
Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: LEFT DWNWD RY25
Last Clearance: CLRD TO LAND RY25
FAA FSDO: ALBUQUERQUE, NM
(SW01)
Entry date: 01/23/2004