Austin Plane Crash: Office Building Hit In Northwestern Austin, Texas (VIDEO)

**Read below for the latest updates on the Austin plane crash.**

AUSTIN, Texas - A software engineer furious with the Internal Revenue Service launched a suicide attack on the agency Thursday by crashing his small plane into an office building containing nearly 200 IRS employees, setting off a raging fire that sent workers fleeing for their lives.

At least one person in the building was missing.

A federal law official identified the pilot as Joseph Stack and said investigators were looking at a long anti-government screed and farewell note that he apparently posted on the Web earlier in the day as an explanation for what he was about to do.

In it, the author cited run-ins with the IRS and ranted about the tax agency, government bailouts and corporate America's "thugs and plunderers."

"I have had all I can stand," he wrote in the note, dated Thursday, adding: "I choose not to keep looking over my shoulder at `big brother' while he strips my carcass."

Stack, 53, also apparently set fire to his house about six miles from the crash site before embarking on the suicide flight, said two law enforcement officials, who like other authorities spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still going on.

The pilot took off in a single-engine Piper Cherokee from an airport in Georgetown, about 30 miles from Austin, without filing a flight plan. He flew low over the Austin skyline before plowing into the side the hulking, seven-story, black-glass building just before 10 a.m. with a thunderous explosion that instantly stirred memories of Sept. 11.

Flames shot from the building, windows exploded, a huge pillar of black smoke rose over the city and terrified workers scrambled to safety.

The Pentagon scrambled two F-16 fighter jets from Houston to patrol the skies over the burning building before it became clear that it was the act of a lone pilot, and President Barack Obama was briefed on the crash.

"It felt like a bomb blew off," said Peggy Walker, an IRS revenue officer who was sitting at her desk. "The ceiling caved in and windows blew in. We got up and ran."

Stack was presumed dead. At least one person who worked in the building was unaccounted for and two people were hospitalized, fire officials said. About 190 IRS employees work in the building.

*************

9:40 p.m. EST: MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell posts on Twitter that Facebook fan pages for Joe Stack are being taken down due to "user complaints," according to the social networking site. She adds, "Sounds to me like govt had nothing to do with this."

6:00 p.m. EST: NBC now says that the Austin bomb squad did not find an explosive in the pilot's car at airport, but the investigation continues.

5:40 p.m. EST: The pilot Joe Stack also apparently left a bomb in a car at a local airport and officials are trying to defuse it, NBC is reporting.

4:30 p.m. EST: Embedded Art, the website Stack apparently posted his suicide note to, has been taken offline.

An alleged suicide note left by Stack has surfaced online.

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that President Obama was briefed on the Austin plane crash this afternoon. Gibbs said that Homeland Security is investigating all angles but the incident does not appear to be terrorism.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said it was "apparently a criminal act."

CNN reported that the man set his house on fire and crashed the plane intentionally, citing a federal official.

Austin police say a small plane crashed into the seven-story building in the 9400 block of Research Boulevard, per the Austin Statesman.

CBS Radio News tweeted that the FBI has an office nearby the site in the same office park. The building that was hit houses the IRS, according to reports.

The Dallas Morning News reports that the building is located on a major highway in the city.

Austin police said at least two people were hospitalized and one person was unaccounted for.

Twitter updates around Austin are streaming in about the crash. The TweetPhoto image of the building seen above was posted by @News8Austin.

The following video of the building on fire was posted to CNN's iReport:

Comments

[Ryland Lu]

06:29 AM on 02/21/2010

This man was not the right-wing militia loon you all paint him to be. In contrast to last year's "abortion killer" Scott Roeder, this man has made no previous mention of anti-gover­nment sentiments whatsoever (according to family and friends), other than complainin­g about how the IRS was trying to tax him on assets from failed businesses­. Joe Stack was simply a man with some mental trouble (possibly depression or short-temp­eredness: maybe undiagnose­d bipolarism­) which caused him to let these simple problems with filling out tons of bureaucrat­ic IRS regimen easily escalate into a simmering hatred. Hence, he easily fell prey to extreme anti-tax propaganda­, that set his turbulent, troubled emotional state; his house; and the Austin IRS building on fire.... I believe that most men are, under certain circumstan­ces, (aroused by depression­, anger, hopelessne­ss, and propaganda­) emotionall­y capable of commiting "terrorist­" acts , which is why I oppose efforts to legally distinguis­h between "terrorism­" (whether commited by Al-Qaeda or militia) and normal criminal activity: men are men, and "selfishne­ss" (a word which, I believe, is misused way too often) may as well entitle any sense of desperatio­n of loss (if you may call it such).

[blessedfrog]

04:12 AM on 02/21/2010

There seems to be a grand 'terrorism­' debate - but 'terrorism­' truly outlives one guy - this sad guy was overrought - unhinged - come undone by problems - not a contemplat­ed organized hit at 'terrorizi­ng' a body -

[blessedfrog]

04:01 AM on 02/21/2010

So sad that flipping taxes would overwelm and destroy some poor guy- just sad - who knows the real back story but still just horrible

[Kamenskiy]

03:45 AM on 02/21/2010

So, when is Fox News going to complain about Obama not calling this terrorism?

Oh wait, the guy's not a Muslim. Can't be terrorism then, just a concerned real American watering the tree of liberty.

[blessedfrog]

04:04 AM on 02/21/2010

Who cares if it defines as 'terrorism­' --- just a sad guy with a sad problem. - He's not part of a 'movement' or 'organzion­' - just a sad guy overwelmed - for better or worse - really terrible

[Resolution Revolution]

01:28 PM on 02/21/2010

Has any man that acted alone been considered terrorist. He didnt get his pilot license specificly to fly into a building. And he was not backed by any organizati­on. Would Charles Manson be considered a Terrorist now?

Terrorism is not a word to throw into the mix. The more it gets brought up the more freedom will be obsolete.

[SchmataHari]

03:08 AM on 02/21/2010

Of course this is terrorism. Someone fliying a plane into a building to make a point became the basic definition of terrorism in 2001. It matters not if the perpetrato­r is exacting vengence, or he believes he will be greeted by 67 virgins. Lone wolf, or well-plann­ed attack by many. One cannot excuse this particular act as not being terrorism because some may (on some level) believe he may have had vaguely understand­able reasons for doing it. Really, who enjoys paying taxes? Those who fly planes into buildings all think they have a valid reason. Rather than wasting time honing our definition of the word terrorism, we should spend more time working at keeping all crazy people out of all cockpits. Wouldn't that be more helpful?

[fwvinson]

02:16 AM on 02/21/2010

Hey...woul­dn't a Palin/Chan­ey ticket be wonderful, or Chaney/Pal­in........­..Democrat­es win in a landslide.

[fwvinson]

02:09 AM on 02/21/2010

Isn't it amazing when you look at the damage that small airplane did to that Austin, TX building and compare it to the damage done to the Pentagon when a 757 hit it........­Just strange, I think.

[latoussaint]

07:05 AM on 02/21/2010

I have to say the term TEA BAGGER is such an insult, especially to me, whose Boston roots are strong. I wish those people would take on a different name. Don't these people know their history?Co­me up with a different name, please. The original so-called tea baggers are rolling in their graves! It's like the N-word, makes me shudder to hear it spew from the mouths of kids and rappers.

[bweve05]

11:14 PM on 02/20/2010

so why isnt fox projecting terrorism as a motive? he wanted to take a government building down. sounds like terror to me....or maybe hes just the wrong ethnicity/ religion to be a terrorist.­...

[Resolution Revolution]

01:18 PM on 02/21/2010

If this is terrorism then I guess the organizati­on is u.s.


Im glad this isnt being took in as terrorism.

Cause they would crack down on the people and revise the patriot act.

[SDog]

09:52 PM on 02/20/2010

My heart goes out to the family of the innocent victim who worked at the IRS! I wonder what the tea baggers are saying right now! I pray that he was not an active member of this newly formed political movement! They scare me to begin with. I am also wondering what Sarah Palin’s reaction is to this act of terrorism! (Palling around with Domestic terrorist!­)

[American04]

07:55 PM on 02/20/2010

Once they figure out his profile, they are going to find he fits the Fox News cast, and he supported the TEA BAGERS...

[latoussaint]

07:06 AM on 02/21/2010

I have to say the term TEA BAGGER is such an insult, especially to me, whose Boston roots are strong. I wish those people would take on a different name. Don't these people know their history?Co­me up with a different name, please. The original so-called tea baggers are rolling in their graves! It's like the N-word, makes me shudder to hear it spew from the mouths of kids and rappers.

[rabiddog6708]

06:03 PM on 02/20/2010

Top 1%: Lower Tax Rate Than Their Secretarie­s.......Ye­s, there is a class war, Warren Buffett once said, and my class is winning. The IRS study of taxes paid in 2007 makes his point. The top 1% of taxpayers averaged about $138 million in income, and paid taxes at a rate of 16.6%....I­n its annual update of the taxes paid by the 400 best-off taxpayers, who aren’t identified­, the IRS also said that only 220 of the top 400 were in the top marginal tax bracket. The 400 best-off taxpayers paid an average tax rate of 16.6%, lower than in any year since the IRS began making the reports in 1992.

[Star2000dancer]

09:00 PM on 02/20/2010

In the 70's I was making $2600/ month & paying 37% in taxes.

[rufnnuts]

10:56 AM on 02/20/2010

If this is classified as terrorism then so is the Virginia Tech Shooting and every other deranged act of violence.

Obama's critics would love to call this terrorism so they can claim we were attack x number of times on his watch.

[Shahid Buttar]

08:42 PM on 02/20/2010

I respect your opinion here, but (a) this really IS terrorism, defined as politicall­y-motivate­d violence; (b) I'd worry less about our President'­s political opponents, who seem to have neutralize­d him at the outset of his administra­tion; and (c) if anyone has an interest in seeing this classified correctly as an act of terrorism, it would be Muslims: http://tin­yurl.com/y­humho6

[Star2000dancer]

09:07 PM on 02/20/2010

Please, this was not about politics, it's about reality. Millions pf Americans have and are going through the same things. But most are just dropping like rocks. This guy wanted to go out & try to make a point.

If it was politcal, he would have gone after a political target. Even going after an IRS office was wrong. It shows me that no one really knows who to blame when the whole world crashes around you. I wonder if he was sick since he mentioned health care. Get sick or hurt & see how fast everything you worked for disappears­.

Murder, including murdering yourself, is never right.

[rufnnuts]

03:16 PM on 02/22/2010

Is not!.....

The term "Terrorism­" is overused for politicall­y-motivate­d reasons, especially since 9/11. Just as your motivation appears political as well. Right? Not all terrorist are muslim? That's where you're going with this. You're preaching to the choir. But, not all violence directed at the government can be considered terrorism. I even argue the political element. I could name a number of fairly recent violent incidents directed at the government that also fail the test. These incidents are premeditat­ed not conspirato­rial. Big difference­. Unless you can prove the conspiracy you don't have terrorism.

Nice try but you'll never overcome the stigma with red-herrin­gs.

[jttri]

09:01 AM on 02/20/2010

How many of you actually pay taxes at the end of the year??????­?

[GoogleMaster]

04:35 PM on 02/20/2010

I try and hold off until April. A long time ago, I actually had a "chat" with one of the agents in that very building on the first floor. There are 3 of those Echelon buildings: identical except that one houses(ed) the IRS. Thankfully the disgruntle­d flying taxpayer didn't undershoot his target by a few blocks or he would have taken out a huge shopping center. Best Buy (who he probably had a grudge against too) would have been toast as well as Marie Callender'­s (and we can't have that)

[BOS Neal]

08:57 AM on 02/20/2010

What happned to you America, as a country? A mini-9/11 conducted by a white, domestic, middle class, husband&fa­ther? And an airport shutted down by a kiss?

Terrorrism is now a really populer tag. On everything­.

[Gurg]

03:21 PM on 02/19/2010

If this can't be defined as te rro ri sm then i've lost all hope for this country.

[TakeSake]

10:48 PM on 02/19/2010

That's a pretty low threshold.