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

FMI: www.ntsb.gov