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Plane Crashes into Texas Office Building
JIM VERTUNO
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas - A small plane crashed into an office building that houses a Texas office of the U.S. tax agency on Thursday, and officials said they were investigating whether it was an intentional act by the pilot.
Related
The U.S. law enforcement officials said authorities were trying to determine if the pilot intentionally targeted the federal Internal Revenue Service. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing.
Assistant Austin Fire Chief Harry Evans said at least one person was missing and two people were taken to a hospital. Their conditions and identities were not immediately known.
The crash sent workers fleeing as ceilings crumbled, windows shattered and flames shot out of the building.
Thick black and grey smoke was billowing out of the second and third stories of the building as fire crews using ladder trucks and hoses battled the blaze. Dozens of windows were blown out of the hulking black building.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the pilot didn't file a flight plan. He didn't identify the pilot.
In Washington, a federal law enforcement official identified the pilot as Joseph Stack and says investigators are looking at an anti-government message on the Web linked to him.
The Web site outlines problems with the IRS and says violence "is the only answer."
As a precaution, the Colorado-based North American Aerospace Defence Command launched two F-16 aircraft from Houston's Ellington Field, and is conducting an air patrol over the crash area.
Peggy Walker, an IRS revenue officer who works in the building said she was sitting at her desk when the plane crashed.
"It felt like a bomb blew off. The ceiling caved in and windows blew in. We got up and ran," she said.
Matt Farney, 39, who was in the parking lot of a nearby store, said he saw a low-flying small plane near some apartments and the office building just before it crashed.
"I figured he was going to buzz the apartments or he was showing off," Farney said. "It was insane. ... It didn't look like he was out of control or anything."
Sitting at her desk in another building about a half-mile from the crash, Michelle Santibanez said she felt vibrations after the crash. She and her co-workers ran to the windows, where they saw a scene that reminded them of the 2001 terrorist attacks, she said.
"It was the same kind of scenario with window panels falling out and desks falling out and paperwork flying," said Santibanez, an accountant.
Fire crews were inside the building, which is located next door to a building that houses the FBI, and looking for survivors, Evans said.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said an investigator from the board's Dallas office has been dispatched to the scene of the accident to start an investigation.
The IRS Web site said an office of its EP Team Audit Program is located in the building where the plane crashed. The group, known as EPTA, examines employee benefit plans with 2,500 or more participants, according to the Web site.
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Associated Press writers April Castro and Jay Root in Austin and Devlin Barrett, Lolita C. Baldor and Joan Lowy in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas - A small plane crashed into an office building that houses a Texas office of the U.S. tax agency on Thursday, and officials said they were investigating whether it was an intentional act by the pilot.
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- Plane Crashes into Austin Office Building
- Small Plane Crashes into Building
- Plane Crashes into Austin Building
Assistant Austin Fire Chief Harry Evans said at least one person was missing and two people were taken to a hospital. Their conditions and identities were not immediately known.
The crash sent workers fleeing as ceilings crumbled, windows shattered and flames shot out of the building.
Thick black and grey smoke was billowing out of the second and third stories of the building as fire crews using ladder trucks and hoses battled the blaze. Dozens of windows were blown out of the hulking black building.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the pilot didn't file a flight plan. He didn't identify the pilot.
In Washington, a federal law enforcement official identified the pilot as Joseph Stack and says investigators are looking at an anti-government message on the Web linked to him.
The Web site outlines problems with the IRS and says violence "is the only answer."
As a precaution, the Colorado-based North American Aerospace Defence Command launched two F-16 aircraft from Houston's Ellington Field, and is conducting an air patrol over the crash area.
Peggy Walker, an IRS revenue officer who works in the building said she was sitting at her desk when the plane crashed.
"It felt like a bomb blew off. The ceiling caved in and windows blew in. We got up and ran," she said.
Matt Farney, 39, who was in the parking lot of a nearby store, said he saw a low-flying small plane near some apartments and the office building just before it crashed.
"I figured he was going to buzz the apartments or he was showing off," Farney said. "It was insane. ... It didn't look like he was out of control or anything."
Sitting at her desk in another building about a half-mile from the crash, Michelle Santibanez said she felt vibrations after the crash. She and her co-workers ran to the windows, where they saw a scene that reminded them of the 2001 terrorist attacks, she said.
"It was the same kind of scenario with window panels falling out and desks falling out and paperwork flying," said Santibanez, an accountant.
Fire crews were inside the building, which is located next door to a building that houses the FBI, and looking for survivors, Evans said.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said an investigator from the board's Dallas office has been dispatched to the scene of the accident to start an investigation.
The IRS Web site said an office of its EP Team Audit Program is located in the building where the plane crashed. The group, known as EPTA, examines employee benefit plans with 2,500 or more participants, according to the Web site.
____
Associated Press writers April Castro and Jay Root in Austin and Devlin Barrett, Lolita C. Baldor and Joan Lowy in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Gibson on
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There might be a connection with an earlier house fire that was said to be set by the pilot. He was said to have set fire to his house and then fly this plane into to the building.
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it was intentional. found his note w a prob with the IRS. Pilot blog had his letter and at the end he put his name and (19XX-2010) as if for his birth and death yr
Joe Stack was the pilot....and the house fire was his house. @ Parmer and Metric in Austin around 07:30 then around 09:55 the building fire was reported. Building #2 at the Echelon complex Hwy 183 @ Mopac Loop 1
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update/correction on house fire time....09:15ish sorry for the wrong information.
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was reported that his wife and 12 y/o daughter were in the house and made it out alive.
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Permalink Reply by Doug on
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He had issues with everything, EVERYTHING. His manifesto is currently posted on many websites.
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Permalink Reply by Reg Mathis on
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Reports are coming in now that the guys was pissed off at the IRS.
If I would have known that, I would have bought his gas!!!
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Permalink Reply by Rob on
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WTF? Is that a serious comment? You actually support people flying planes into buildings?
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Permalink Reply by Loyd Dittfurth on
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chill rob its tax time half the country thinks that way lol
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Hiscock on
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9/11 all over again....*sighs* it's beyond me why people would fly a plane into a building with people inside working...then again "most" people don't think about what they are doing until someone is killed after the fact.
I know I'm probably going to get slammed for this but: maybe he didn't want his taxes done.
but again there is no excuse for this to happen in the first place.
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I agree completely with that hes an idiot that made no sence in his final notes.
I dont think that an american attacking america with force does anything for the cause in which people believe in.
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