Joseph Andrew Stack was named as the pilot who crashed into the Echelon Building in Austin, Texas on February 18, 2010. According to the Austin Statesman, Stack left behind a suicide note/manifesto titled "Well Mr. Big Brother IRS man... take my pound of flesh and sleep well" on his website EmbeddedArt.com which is signed "Joe Stack (1956-2010) 02/18/2010." Stack's manifesto ended with, "The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed" at the end of the long document.
According to several reports, Stack may have set his home on fire before crashing into the office building, which housed offices of the CIA and IRS. According to FOX News, the teenage-daughter of the pilot told authorities that her father had set fire to the house and took off in a plane. Local NTSB authorities said the plane crash may have been intentional. Two people were injured when the single engine Cirrus SR22 crashed into the building, located in North West Austin.http://www.wane.com/dpps/news/national/small-plane-hits-austin-business-tower-_3243579 http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/18/texas.plane.crash/?hpt=T1
The FAA said that the plane left the Georgetown airport, located in North Austin, at approximately 9:40 a.m. The plane slammed into the building creating a huge fireball and explosion at approximately 10:00 a.m. The smoke could be seen from a mile away. The pilot, Joseph Andrew Stack, did not have a flight plan. Two people were hospitalized and listed in critical condition as of Friday, February 19, 2010. A total of 13 were injured in the incident and IRS collection agent Vernon Hunter killed.http://www.wane.com/dpps/news/national/small-plane-hits-austin-business-tower-_3243579http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/02/19/crimesider/entry6223132.shtml
Update: Stack's daughter Samantha Bell called her father a "hero" on Good Morning America on February 22, 2010, though she said she didn't condone "his last action," referring to the suicide crash.http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/joe-stacks-daughter-samantha-bell-calls-dad-hero/story?id=9903329 Conversation: What do you think about some people calling Joe Stack a "hero"?
Joseph Andrew Stack Photo
Joe Stack Manifesto on EmbeddedArt.com
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