Aircraft Slams Into Texas Office Building in Deliberate Act, Authorities Say

(Jay Janner; Austin American-Statesman)

A single-engine airplane crashed into a Northwestern Austin, TX office building housing an IRS field office in what investigators are calling an intentional act on Thursday. The plane was registered to Joseph Stack III, 53, of North Austin, TX. Authorities have pulled two bodies out from the building late Thursday, one of them believed to be Stack and the other an IRS Employee who worked in the building,

Firefighters responded to a house fire in North Austin less than an hour before the crash. Public records indicate the residence that was mostly destroyed in the blaze was owned by Stack.

There was also a lengthy online screed railing against the IRS, corporations, healthcare, the Catholic Church, former President George W. Bush, General Motors and the FAA posted online that has been attributed to Stack as well.

The FBI is leading the investigation along with state and local authorities and the 9:56 AM CT crash is being ruled an "apparent criminal act". According to the Austin American-Statesman first responders were prepared for a high number of casualties, but much of the office space in the building was vacant and for lease while some employees working in the building had a clear enough view of the incoming plane to warn their co-workers.