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Breaking news from Austin (constantly updated):

Earlier today a small single engine plane crashed into an IRS building housing almost 200 employees in North Austin.  FAA officials told CNN the plane was a Piper Cherokee PA-28.

An unidentified official with the National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot apparently set his own house on fire, got into the plane, and then flew it into the seven-story building, Fox News Channel reported An NTSB spokesman said the agency couldn’t confirm the assertion.

IRS Plane Crash in Austin February 2010

Austin station KXAN reports that North Austin resident Joe Andrew Stack’s house was set on fire earlier today, and police believe the two events are related.  A neighbor saved Stack’s wife and child.  Joe Stack owns a plane registered out of Georgetown.

Neighbors reported to KXAN that Stack had been having problems with the IRS, and Stack and his wife had an argument last night, and Stack’s wife and daughter left and spent the night at a hotel.  This morning, Stack’s wife and daughter returned, and that’s when the fire started.

Harry Evans of the Austin Fire Department said firefighters found “heavy fire destruction in and around the second floor … lots of heat, lots of smoke, lots of fire.”

KXAN reporter David Scott claimed that several people told them that there was a window cleaning truck and bystanders sprang into action, put ladders up against the building and rescued people out of the building before any officials arrived.

Federal officials said two F-16 fighter jets were launched as a precaution after the crash, though terrorist intent was not indicated.

“At this time we have no reason to believe there is a nexus to criminal or terrorist activity,” said Matt Chandler, spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security. “We are in the process of coordinating with state officials and other federal partners to gather more information and at this time we will defer additional questions to local officials and the FAA.”

Assistant Austin Fire Chief Harry Evans said at least one person was missing and two people were taken to a hospital. Their conditions and identities were not immediately known.

The crash sent workers fleeing as ceilings crumbled, windows shattered and flames shot out of the building.

Austin TV station KXAN reports they received a message supposedly from the suspect.  They are attempting to verify before airing.

Officials are keeping reporters and bystanders away from the building, fearing for its structural integrity.

BREAKING UPDATE!

According to web reports, a Joe Stack from Austin owns a company named “Embedded Art“. Today, the website has been replaced with a long, rambling suicide note.  The site list the administrative contact as Joe Stack. Below is the full text of the letter in case the site goes down, as well as what the website looked like before the change:

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