Austin plane crash was deliberate, officials say STORY HIGHLIGHTS * Pilot appears to have burned his house, then crashed his plane into intentionally * A message on a Web site registered to pilot appears to be a suicide note * Austin mayor downplays any terrorism links to crash. * Witnesses described an infernal scene that shook nearby buildings (CNN) -- An Austin, Texas, resident with an apparent grudge against the Internal Revenue Service set his house on fire Thursday and then crashed a small plane into a building housing an IRS office with nearly 200 employees, officials said. Federal authorities identified the pilot of the Piper Cherokee PA-28 as Joseph Andrew Stack, 53. Two people were injured and one person was missing, local officials said. There were no reported deaths. A message on a Web site registered to Stack appears to be a suicide note. "If you're reading this, you're no doubt asking yourself, 'Why did this have to happen?' " the message says. "The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time." In the lengthy, rambling message, the writer rails against the government and, particularly, the IRS. See text of the note (PDF) The building into which the airplane crashed is a federal IRS center with 199 employees. "I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different," the online message says. "I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well." Two people were transported to University Medical Center Brackenridge, said hospital spokeswoman Matilda Sanchez. She could not provide additional information. University Medical Center Brackenridge is the only Level 1 trauma center for adults in Austin. St. David's Medical Center, the other major hospital in the area, said it had not received any patients. Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell said one person remained unaccounted for Thursday afternoon. He tried to calm any concerns residents could have about the crash and the huge fire, which he said was mostly contained. "It is an isolated incident," the mayor said. "The people of Austin, the people of the nation, are in no danger whatsoever." He added that "there is evidence that the gas tank was just about full. ... That amount of gasoline ... can do a lot of damage." Witnesses described an infernal scene that shook nearby buildings and sent fire and smoke bellowing into the sky. "I just saw smoke and flames," said CNN iReporter Mike Ernest. "I could not believe what I was seeing. It was just smoke and flames everywhere." The crash occurred around 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET). Firefighters used two ladder trucks and other equipment to hose down the blaze at the Echelon office building, which police said is in the 9400 block of Research Boulevard. The flames seemed mostly extinguished about 75 minutes later. The FAA said preliminary information indicated the plane departed Georgetown Municipal Airport north of Austin about 9:40 a.m. CT. Jack Lillis, an attendant at Georgetown airport, said initial indications are that the flight originated there but there were conflicting reports and he could not verify that information. Are you there? Share your photos, video, stories with CNN The pilot evidently did not file a flight plan, the FAA said. No flight plan was required because flights Thursday morning were under visual flight rules, or VFR, because of clear weather. Two F-16 fighter jets were sent from Houston as a precaution, but federal authorities said preliminary information did not indicate any terrorist connection to the crash. "We do not yet know the cause of the plane crash," the Department of Homeland Security said in a release. "At this time, we have no reason to believe there is a nexus to terrorist activity. We continue to gather more information, and are aware there is additional information about the pilot's history."
LOL, you're totally right. I mean, what kind of of a sick nutcase would sacrifice his own life to take a stand against a giant powerful bully he could never hope to defeat? I mean, if you just let the bully run your life as it pleases and do everything it asks, you <i>totally</i> get left alone. RIP, defiant fool.
You sound in principle exactly like someone making an argument for why the Palestinians are justified in firing rockets on Israel the bully... The truth that both you and I know, which you will never admit in public, is that you had you chance to stand up to the man when you were busted for drugs, be a political prisoner making a stand against the drug laws...but instead you did whatever it took to stay out of jail... You are a fraud when it comes to actually standing up and making a sacrifice for what you claim to believe, and we both know it... Prediction: You won't deny what I just said, you will go on the attack...
You're trolling again. You already know why your argument is flawed, but others might not. Ordinarily I might not bother to reply, but when your sophistry appears potentially good enough to be read and believed by simple minds, I feel the need to set the record straight: <b>My becoming political prisoner #400,001 wouldn't have accomplished jack shit.</b> Richard Paey, wheelchair and all, was a prohibition martyr a thousand times more sympathetic and media-friendly than I could ever hope to be, yet Paey's horrific self-martyrdom was all for naught. He took a stand, the prohibition thugs oppressed the shit out of him, and the American people just shrugged their shoulders and turned on American Idol. Ditto Tommy Chong.
Gotta luv your rationalization for not standing on principle... Tooooooo funny... I was right before and it sent you into hiding and fantasizing some victimization fantasy, and you know it...you are nothing but another drug addict trying to escape the pain of living...
I guess that is one way to look at it.... Here is another: What would your opinion be if Walid the Palestinian, fed up with viewing the corruption, greed, heavy handedness and general f**k you attitude of his Palestinian / Hamas government which had impacted his life and the life of his family, having reached a point of no return, drove a bomb laden vehicle into the local Hamas political center ? I assume under the above circumstances, you would file Walid's story under the heading "klannish". Upon further thought, I would assume that the Iranian people protesting, and indeed laying their lives on the line against what they see as a tyrannical government would also find their story in your "klannish" file............
You are all over the map dude... Take it slow and trying just one point at a time. I am opposed to acts of violence, so any suicide bomber is in the wrong in my estimation.
I do not know if you are the biggest idiot or just plain schizophrenic. You are one of the biggest hypocrites I have ever encountered Rearden...Ever! I am not going to reply to your come back but you know what I am talking about. Pleasae go back and read your above statement again. Fuck man, are you that sick?
Habibi, at least I know <i>you</i> are sincere in what you say, and I do respect you. Unlike LoZZZer who can go 25,000 posts without uttering a single <i>touche</i> or accepting any hint of blame for anything, I admit that your point isn't entirely faulty. Even though Israel captured your lands in a war of self-defense against the armies of five nations, and despite the fact that ten years ago your side was offered nearly everything you claim to be fighting for- an offer violently refused by the terrorist leading your people... I do kind of get it. Because the hopeless and powerless Palestinian <b>individual</b> cannot personally be blamed for any of that. When he tries to go about his business on lands his family owned for generations and is stopped, harassed and taunted at an IDF checkpoint by some soldier fresh off the plane from St. Petersburg as if <i>he</i> is the one who belongs there and you do not... well, something is definitely wrong. I can kind of see why that Pali individual might want to strap a bomb to himself and hit back in the only way he can. If I were in his shoes, I might even do the same thing. (Definitely not in a restaurant full of innocent children eating pizza- not under any circumstances EVER... buy hey, to each their own.)