Live feed: Small-plane crash may have been intentional
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Law enforcement officials say a pilot furious with the Internal Revenue Service crashed his small plane into an office building that houses federal tax employees in Austin, Texas on Thursday, setting off a raging fire that sent workers fleeing as thick plumes of black smoke poured into the air.
Officials identified the pilot as Joseph Stack and said investigators were 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."
Thick black and gray smoke was billowing out of the second and third stories of the building earlier Thursday as fire crews using ladder trucks and hoses battled the fire. Dozens of windows were blown out of the hulking black building, which houses offices of the Internal Revenue Service. Vehicles traveling on a nearby highway paused to look.
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 Home Depot, said he saw a low-flying private 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, adding that the plane dipped down. "It was a ball of flames that was high or higher than the apartments. It was surreal. It was insane. ... It didn't look like he was out of control or anything."
Sitting at her desk about a half-mile (a kilometer) from the crash, Michelle Santibanez said she felt vibrations. 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 battling the blaze and looking for survivors, Evans said.
Feb 19, 2010 at 10:40 a.m.
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I think people are getting tired of seeing our elected officals going off on junkets (3 military jets, and another uncounted airlines for the families and workers)then not held accoutable, they seem to slip by the laws if they just happen to forget to pay the taxes they owe...we should let them know we are tired, but not by hurting others by stupid acts.
Feb 19, 2010 at 8:19 a.m.
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It seems to be the beginning of a new wave of violence against our system of things. All we ever hear about is how our government is tearing down the middle class. Is there any wonder why these violent outbursts are happening more and more frequently? We are severely overtaxed. We watch our elected officials in gridlock while millions of Americans lose their jobs, homes and health insurance. We don't have enough jobs for Americans while millions come into this country illegally each year to compete for what few jobs are available. The elected officials turn a deaf ear toward the middle class. I fear this is just the beginning, unless we can oust all these long time career politicians and replace them with common sense true Americans.
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