The Associated Press
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) -- A student-pilot from Farmington, New Mexico was practicing taking off and landing in a single-engine airplane when he crashed into the roof of the nearby Farmington Police Department, authorities said.
The crash late Thursday evening forced the evacuation of detectives, 10 inmates in a holding area and booking officers, but none of them was injured.
Mesa Airlines Pilot Development program student Jeff Lewis, 32, was transferred late Thursday night from the Farmington hospital to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition Friday. Police said he suffered head injuries and broken bones.
He was the only person aboard the six-seat plane, which penetrated the ceiling of the police department’s detective unit when it crashed.
“There was no fire at any time. That’s quite a miracle right there because there’s fuel spilling everywhere,” Farmington Fire Marshal Herb Veazey said.
Police Officer Mike Briseno and SWAT team medic Nick Mirzlak, a Farmington Fire Department employee, saw the crash and climbed a fence onto the roof to help the pilot. They gave first aid until other emergency medical personnel arrived, police said Friday.
Most of the damage occurred in Detective Pat Cordell’s office. Cordell was relieved to find that tapes and files for three upcoming murder trials were not destroyed.
“That was my main concern, that all my stuff for the trials would be gone,” he said.
Farmington police Sgt. Darin Hardy was driving to work when he saw the crash.
“I didn’t believe it was happening at first. I was pulling into the parking lot when I saw the plane veer straight up and come into the north end of the building,” he said.
Wayne Beckmann, duty officer with the Federal Aviation Administration, said the crash for the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza A-36 apparently caused by a loss of power to the engine.
Farmington police and Mesa officials received permission from the FAA late Thursday night to remove the 2,500-pound airplane from the roof and take it to an airport hanger for safekeeping about three hours after the crash.
The Farmington Police Department was open for business Friday, but the detective division has been moved to other locations in the building.
The inmates at the station’s holding area at the time of the crash were transferred to the San Juan County Detention Center. The move was “fairly simple because of the small number of people,” police Lt. Doug Kennedy said.