diff --git a/context/open-questions.md b/context/open-questions.md
index 6bf92c9..322f470 100644
--- a/context/open-questions.md
+++ b/context/open-questions.md
@@ -113,9 +113,13 @@ authentic path scoped.
   VISUAL is the **WRECK-HULK SWAP** (death ModelList `blhdead` → effect 104 → the victim becomes its
   `<mech>dbr.bgf` burning hulk) — RECONSTRUCTED + verified (`SwapToWreck`, btl4vid.cpp; see
   [[combat-damage]] "Death SEQUENCE" for the full chain + proofs).
-  **Remaining**: (c) the whole-mech **DeathSplash** radius damage; wreck mesh FLAMES
-  (flamesml/flamebig + sweep flicker, 1996 script case 4) + the hulk settle motion (cosmetic).
-  Do NOT issue DestroyEntityMessage on death.
+  ✅ The wreck **sinks** (the 1996 quadratic burial, `offsetY = -0.025·t²`, gone ~17s) with the `ldbr`
+  debris field; at burial it goes **INERT** (collisionVolumeCount=0 + target lock dropped — no phantom
+  blocking/hits). **Remaining**: (c) the whole-mech **DeathSplash** radius damage; wreck mesh FLAMES
+  (flamesml/flamebig + sweep flicker, 1996 script case 4); the **full entity teardown at burial**
+  (the authentic death-row removal — needs the mech render tree unhooked from the renderer first;
+  the inert wreck is the safe stand-in until then).
+  Do NOT issue DestroyEntityMessage on death (before the render-tree teardown lands).
 - **Critical-subsystem plugs UNBOUND (43 skips/mech) [T3].** `MechCriticalSubsystem::subsystemPlug`
   never gets WIRED to its live subsystem (the ctor's Resolve() at mechdmg.cpp:276 only READS; the
   binding write is elsewhere/unreconstructed), so `SendSubsystemDamage` skips every entry via the
diff --git a/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp b/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp
index 5e974fc..0ac860e 100644
--- a/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp
+++ b/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp
@@ -961,6 +961,24 @@ void
 		// authored 10s window; once buried, the smoke stops with it.
 		extern int BTWreckSinkTick(Entity *victim, float dt);
 		int wreck_visible = BTWreckSinkTick(this, (float)dt);
+
+		// BURIAL TRANSITION (one-shot): the authentic game REMOVES the dead
+		// entity (the death row) once its wreck is gone; full entity teardown is
+		// the remaining P5 follow-through (the render tree must be unhooked
+		// first), so until then the buried wreck goes INERT instead: no
+		// collision volume (stops phantom blocking -- the assistant's gather
+		// skips a mover with collisionVolumeCount 0, and MoveCollisionVolume
+		// early-outs) and no target lock (stops phantom hits/impact smoke on
+		// the empty spot).
+		if (!wreck_visible && collisionVolumeCount != 0)
+		{
+			collisionVolumeCount = 0;
+			if ((Entity *)this == gEnemyMech)
+				gEnemyMech = 0;
+			if (getenv("BT_DEATH_LOG"))
+				DEBUG_STREAM << "[death] buried wreck went INERT (collision off, "
+					"target lock dropped)\n" << std::flush;
+		}
 		wreckSmokeTimer -= dt;
 		if (wreck_visible && wreckSmokeTimer <= 0.0f)
 		{