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Forums - General Discussion - Terrorists may have hit the US - Plane crashes into federal building in TX

Updated. Looks real:

A small single-engine plane crashed into a seven-story office building in Austin, Texas, around 10 a.m. local time Thursday.

An NTSB official told Fox News that they are investigating this as an intentional act, and said it appears the pilot set his own house on fire and then got in his plane and flew it into the building. An NTSB spokesman, however, told FoxNews.com that "we can't confirm any of that."

An Internal Revenue Service office is located inside the building.

IRS Agent William Winnie said he was on the third floor of the building when he saw a light-colored, single engine plane coming towards the building, TheStatesman.com reported.

“It looked like it was coming right in my window,” Winnie said, according to the Web sit.

Winnie said the plane veered down and smashed into the lower floors. “I didn’t lose my footing, but it was enough to knock people who were sitting to the floor.”

SLIDESHOW: Small Plane Crashes Into Austin Office Building

The Austin American-Statesman newspaper reported on its Web site that EMS officials have taken two patients to the hospital, and that there are several "walking wounded" at the scene. Paramedics have set up a triage center at the scene.

Harry Evans, an assistant chief with the Austin Fire Department, said one person from the building was unaccounted for.

"There may be other injuries, we are unsure at this time," Evans said during a news conference Thursday.

Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the building at 9420 Research Boulevard. Several local witnesses on Twitter reported seeing flames coming out of the building and lots of broken glass.

Dozens of fire trucks were on scene and the building was evacuated.

Early reports that the building housed the FBI field office in Austin later turned out not to be true. An FBI spokesman told Fox News that the FBI office in Austin is near where the plane crashed, but not in the same building. There are some federal offices in the building, though authorities couldn't identify which ones.

The FBI spokesman also told Fox News that as of 10:30 a.m. local time. there was nothing to indicate that this targeted the FBI or that the crash was terrorism-related.

"The building lies along a flight path," the spokesman said, so right now it looks like an "accident."

KXAN is reporting that emergency crews are on the scene, and two people are still unaccounted for, according to fire officials. The station also reported that the collision shook the entire building, and the entire front of the structure is gone.



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If that's the best they've got.............



Check the live stream. Half of the building is burnt to a crisp.



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

so, it really wasn't a terrorist, it was really a guy who couldn't pay his taxes




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Everything about this news story makes it look much more like an accident than an attack. He started a good fire, but he failed to kill many infidels or select a good symbolic target. McVeigh did far worse with a truckload of fertilizer.

Although in the wake of the shoe bomber and the undiebomber, I guess you really can't underestimate the incompetence of somebody crazy enough to try a suicide attack.

I'm still going to go with accident until we actually learn something about the pilot. There are plenty of tragedies that occur in this world without loopy suicidal fundamentalists behind them.



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If he set his own house on fire, I'm pretty sure he's just insane.

Must we slap a "terrorist" label on every stupid/crazy person in the world?

EDIT: And what kind of terrorist would attack an IRS building? Terrorists aren't trying to make Americans happy.



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famousringo said:
Everything about this news story makes it look much more like an accident than an attack. He started a good fire, but he failed to kill many infidels or select a good symbolic target. McVeigh did far worse with a truckload of fertilizer.

Although in the wake of the shoe bomber and the undiebomber, I guess you really can't underestimate the incompetence of somebody crazy enough to try a suicide attack.

I'm still going to go with accident until we actually learn something about the pilot. There are plenty of tragedies that occur in this world without loopy suicidal fundamentalists behind them.

Very true.

The initial news reports had it as a possible terror attack. I would say that it looks like it may just be a PO'ed taxpayer or crazy dude.



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Kantor said:

EDIT: And what kind of terrorist would attack an IRS building? Terrorists aren't trying to make Americans happy.



Kantor said:

If he set his own house on fire, I'm pretty sure he's just insane.

Must we slap a "terrorist" label on every stupid/crazy person in the world?

EDIT: And what kind of terrorist would attack an IRS building? Terrorists aren't trying to make Americans happy.

actually, I'd be really pissed. I just bought a house and the government promissed me $8k. Luckily my taxes aren't done in Texas




If you drop a PS3 right on top of a Wii, it would definitely defeat it. Not so sure about the Xbox360. - mancandy
In the past we played games. In the future we watch games. - Forest-Spirit
11/03/09 Desposit: Mod Bribery (RolStoppable)  vg$ 500.00
06/03/09 Purchase: Moderator Privilege  vg$ -50,000.00

Nordlead Jr. Photo/Video Gallery!!! (Video Added 4/19/10)

Oh my God, not again.