An angry software engineer, looking to lash out at the IRS, crashed a light airplane into an Austin, Texas office building housing an IRS office, killing himself and igniting the building.
53-year-old Joseph Andrew Stack set his home on fire before driving to the Georgetown Municipal airport where he stole a Piper Cherokee 140 which he then crashed into the building. Stack missed the IRS but ended up starting a large fire.
“[The plane] was swooping down like it was going to buzz the apartments and then pull back up.” an eyewitness told a KXAN reporter. “As soon as he cleared the apartments he just dropped down and we saw this ball of flame as tall or taller as the whole apartment complex itself.”
The eyewitness said the plane “was within feet of the top of the apartment complex.”
Another eyewitness said the plane crashed into the building under full power.
Two persons were hospitalized after the crash, and one is missing.
Stack posted a suicide note on a social-networking web site in which he said the IRS had driven him to his actions and that violence had become the only answer.
“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. 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,” the note read.
Police reportedly received a domestic disturbance call regarding the Stack residence early Thursday morning. Then, neighbors say, there was an explosion and the house burst into flames. The house was completely destroyed. Stack’s wife Cheryl and his 12-year-old stepdaughter escaped from the building unharmed.
53-year-old Joseph Andrew Stack set his home on fire before driving to the Georgetown Municipal airport where he stole a Piper Cherokee 140 which he then crashed into the building. Stack missed the IRS but ended up starting a large fire.
“[The plane] was swooping down like it was going to buzz the apartments and then pull back up.” an eyewitness told a KXAN reporter. “As soon as he cleared the apartments he just dropped down and we saw this ball of flame as tall or taller as the whole apartment complex itself.”
The eyewitness said the plane “was within feet of the top of the apartment complex.”
Another eyewitness said the plane crashed into the building under full power.
Two persons were hospitalized after the crash, and one is missing.
Stack posted a suicide note on a social-networking web site in which he said the IRS had driven him to his actions and that violence had become the only answer.
“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. 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,” the note read.
Police reportedly received a domestic disturbance call regarding the Stack residence early Thursday morning. Then, neighbors say, there was an explosion and the house burst into flames. The house was completely destroyed. Stack’s wife Cheryl and his 12-year-old stepdaughter escaped from the building unharmed.
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