Student pilot crashes plane into Farmington police department

A single-engine airplane crashed into the Farmington Police Department
Thursday night, but everyone, including the pilot, survived.
A student-pilot was the only person aboard the six-seat plane when it
crashed into the building just after 7 p.m. Thursday.

Police say ten inmates in a holding area at the department were safely
transferred to the San Juan County Detention Center.

Fire Marshal Herb Veazey says the student-pilot suffered head and facial
injuries but was conscious when he was transported to San Juan Regional
Medical Center.

"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."

Farmington police say the student-pilot was practicing take-offs and
landings at Four Corners Regional Airport. It has a runway about 400 yards
from the department.

"I was pulling into the back entrance of the police department when a plane
was on coming on a north western 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," says Sgt. Hardy.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the airplane, a Beechcraft Bonanza,
apparently lost power before the crash.

The plane crashed into the roof at the station's detective area. Two
detectives in the building escaped without injury.

Authorities worked through the night to remove the remarkably intact plane
from the roof of the facility.



http://www.krqe.com/expanded2.asp?RE...5D=ID& ID%5BB
igLocalAdvanced%5D=2916

lets re name this thread... it is not "crashes into police department."..

it's

Student pilot crashes while landing, hits police department building to
close to runway.

BT

"MRQB" wrote in message
...
A single-engine airplane crashed into the Farmington Police Department
Thursday night, but everyone, including the pilot, survived.
A student-pilot was the only person aboard the six-seat plane when it
crashed into the building just after 7 p.m. Thursday.

Police say ten inmates in a holding area at the department were safely
transferred to the San Juan County Detention Center.

Fire Marshal Herb Veazey says the student-pilot suffered head and facial
injuries but was conscious when he was transported to San Juan Regional
Medical Center.

"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."

Farmington police say the student-pilot was practicing take-offs and
landings at Four Corners Regional Airport. It has a runway about 400 yards
from the department.

"I was pulling into the back entrance of the police department when a
plane
was on coming on a north western 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," says Sgt. Hardy.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the airplane, a Beechcraft
Bonanza,
apparently lost power before the crash.

The plane crashed into the roof at the station's detective area. Two
detectives in the building escaped without injury.

Authorities worked through the night to remove the remarkably intact plane
from the roof of the facility.




http://www.krqe.com/expanded2.asp?RE...5D=ID& ID%5BB
igLocalAdvanced%5D=2916

maybe he wanted to join "the flying squad" !!!!

Richard Riley wrote

Strange that a student pilot is solo in a Bonanza - he must own it.

My first solo was in a Bonanza.....well, we called it a T-34. :-)

Bob Moore

"Richard Riley" wrote in message
...
|
| Strange that a student pilot is solo in a Bonanza - he must own it.
|

There are a couple of outfits that do all their primary training in
Bonanzas. IIRC Mesa is one.

"Robert Moore" wrote in message
My first solo was in a Bonanza.....well, we called it a T-34. :-)

Bob Moore

We had a T-34A at the Lowry Aeroclub where I learned to fly. Loved that
plane!

JG

and will the LBPD be prosecuted for the accident? But doesn't a helo pilot
has to take due care that his rotor wash does not do damage.

I had the same problem a few years back.. a helo doing hover practice on the
parallel runway.. unseen blade winds.. lifted and pushed my landing glider
sideways.. I had seen the helo, and expected some winds.. I was ready.. felt
the lift,, closed the spoilers.. and landed long beyond the rotor effects.

The poor T-18 pilot never had a choice.
BT

"Richard Riley" wrote in message
...
At least when we screw up, we don't kill them.

Today at Compton airport one of the old timers was landing his T-18,
just past the threshold when a Long Beach PD helo flew directly over
him. The downwash flipped him over. He died on the way to the
hospital.

Strange that a student pilot is solo in a Bonanza - he must own it.

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 18:12:04 -0800, "MRQB" wrote:

:A single-engine airplane crashed into the Farmington Police Department
:Thursday night, but everyone, including the pilot, survived.
:A student-pilot was the only person aboard the six-seat plane when it
:crashed into the building just after 7 p.m. Thursday.
:
:Police say ten inmates in a holding area at the department were safely
:transferred to the San Juan County Detention Center.
:
:Fire Marshal Herb Veazey says the student-pilot suffered head and facial
:injuries but was conscious when he was transported to San Juan Regional
:Medical Center.
:
:"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."
:
:Farmington police say the student-pilot was practicing take-offs and
:landings at Four Corners Regional Airport. It has a runway about 400
yards
:from the department.
:
:"I was pulling into the back entrance of the police department when a
plane
:was on coming on a north western 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," says Sgt. Hardy.
:
:The Federal Aviation Administration says the airplane, a Beechcraft
Bonanza,
:apparently lost power before the crash.
:
:The plane crashed into the roof at the station's detective area. Two
:detectives in the building escaped without injury.
:
:Authorities worked through the night to remove the remarkably intact
plane
:from the roof of the facility.
:
:
:

:http://www.krqe.com/expanded2.asp?RE...%5D=ID& ID%5B
B
:igLocalAdvanced%5D=2916
:
:
:

In article , "MRQB"
writes:

A single-engine airplane crashed into the Farmington Police Department
Thursday night, but everyone, including the pilot, survived.
A student-pilot was the only person aboard the six-seat plane when it
crashed into the building just after 7 p.m. Thursday.


When she reported this incident on the Today show, 'perky' Katie Kouric made my
blood boil when she snidely remarked that it was convenient the student crashed
into a jail since that was where he belonged.

Nice way to report what could have been a tragic accident had the student
panicked and stalled it in.

Don

--
Wm. Donald (Don) Tabor Jr., DDS
PP-ASEL
Chesapeake, VA - CPK, PVG

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 23:30:13 -0800, Richard Riley
wrote:

At least when we screw up, we don't kill them.

Today at Compton airport one of the old timers was landing his T-18,
just past the threshold when a Long Beach PD helo flew directly over
him. The downwash flipped him over. He died on the way to the
hospital.


LA Times January 24, 2004 edition:

Pilot Dies After Plane Crash at Compton Airport
By Eric Malnic, Times Staff Writer

A small, homebuilt plane spun out of control in the wake of a Long
Beach police helicopter and crashed at Compton Airport Friday morning,
fatally injuring the pilot, federal aviation officials said.

The pilot was identified as Rajko Roy Medan, 73, of Carson,, an
experienced flier who worked at the airport as an operations
coordinator. Medan owned the high-performance, single-engine Thorp
T-18, which was based at the airport.

Donn Walker, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said
the helicopter was hovering over the airport at 9:53 a.m., practicing
emergency landing techniques, when the plane attempted to land beneath
it.

Walker said the plane apparently was caught in the downward wash of
air from the helicopters's rotor.

"The Thorp spun around and crashed upside-down on Runway 25 Right,"
Walker said. "The plane was severely damaged."

Walker said bystanders dashed to the fallen plane, righted it and
pulled Medan, the only one on board, from the wreckage.

Walker said the rescuers attempted live-saving procedures until an
ambulance arrived to transport the pilot to a nearby hospital.

Medan died en route to the hospital, according to the Los Angeles
County Sheriff's Department.

Compton Airport does not have a control tower, and it is up to pilots
to see and avoid one another while utilizing the facility. Pilots are
taught to report their positions and flight intentions by radio while
operating at or near such airports, but radio communications is not
mandatory.

The T-18, like all homebuilt aircraft, is classified as "experimental"
by the FAA, but the design of the 200-mph plane, introduced in the
early 1960s, has been approved by the FAA and each airplane is
thoroughly inspected before it is flown.

Robert Moore opined

Richard Riley wrote

Strange that a student pilot is solo in a Bonanza - he must own it.

My first solo was in a Bonanza.....well, we called it a T-34. :-)

A 6 seat T-34. Were there 5 instructors?

-ash
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