Report That Austin Plane Crash Pilot Set Own House On Fire Raises Suspicions

Breaking Video

by Colby Hall | 12:26 pm, February 18th, 2010

» 5 comments

Media reports are scrambling to get a handle on the current story of a small plane crashing into an office building in Austin, Texas. MSNBC has just reported that prior to talking off, the pilot set his own house on fire, prior to crashing into a building that, by some reports, houses a number of government agencies. Reports are now surfacing that it appears the plane was directed into the building.

AP is reporting the story thusly:

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Authorities are investigating a reported plane crash into a seven-story office building in north Austin.

Black smoke was coming from the building Thursday morning. The building is located on a major highway in the city.

Dawn Clopton, a division chief with the Austin Fire Department, said two people from the building are unaccounted for. She said it was a small private plane that crashed. There was no other immediate information.

We will have more news as it develops

Austin Plane crash, IRS, Terrorism

puck30

Colby did you about a plane heading for Salt Lake City with a bomb threat, just caught a bit of it on the radio.
puck30

Colby here is that link.

http://www.abc4.com/news/local/story/Flight-diverted-to-SLC-over-bomb-threat/K1EH2n73606Z9YKst1sDdw.cspx
puck30

Guess he didn’t want to go to his IRS meeting.
The Real Royal King

My office is about three (3) blocks from the crash site. I didn’t see the crash, and first became aware of it from the sound of sirens heading to the site. I then saw heavy smoke rising, but the flames were obscured. We received a warning that the electricity was going to be cut to accommodate first responders. I went home and have being viewing various local news reports. Our local NBC affiliate is KXAN, Channel 36, and it is doing some excellent work. I even noticed that MSNBC and CNN are picking up their reports. What we have pieced together here is from the local reports. I am toggling between KXAN and the local ABC affiliate, KVUE, Channel 24, while my son is toggling between the CBS affiliate, KEYE, Channel 42, and FOX, Channel 7. It seems that there is at least a preliminary consensus: the act was intentional, apparently an individual unhappy with the IRS (the building houses an IRS field office, but is across town from the large US regional IRS processing center); before he left his house in north central Austin, the pilot set his house on fire; the pilot went to the Georgetown Airport, a very low security, open facility, 30 miles north of downtown Austin and 18 miles from the crash site; the pilot stole the aircraft; the pilot proceeded directly to the building housing the IRS, banked and flew very low across MoPac Expressway directly hitting the second floor of the building; there were initial flames, but a glass company was working in the building, saw what was happening and was able to alert people to leave; the exodus was well underway when the large explosion occurred.

I have been impressed with the local coverage. Very calm, to the point and cautious with details. The cable channels seem to have been fairly muted as well. CNN and FOX are detailed, but keep cautioning all the news is preliminary. MSNBC has that horrible Contessa Brewer on, but even she is calmer and less spastic than she often is. Everyone seems to be doing a great job.

Kudos the the Austin Fire Department, by the way. Our Police Department is not that good, but the firefighters are excellent, and they were able to get the fire under control quickly. Information flow from the City, which also owns the utility company, was also good.
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