AUSTIN, Texas — Feb. 18, 2020, marked the 10-year anniversary of a deliberate plane crash involving a northwest Austin office building.
Ten years ago, Andrew Joseph Stack flew his single-engine Piper plane into the Echelon building, which housed an IRS office. He was reportedly angry over a tax debt and posted a lengthy rant against the agency before he took off that day. He also set his North Austin home on fire on the same morning.
Stack died in the crash, along with IRS employee Vernon Hunter, 68. Hunter was a Vietnam veteran.
One survivor, Sgt. Shane Hill, suffered severe burns and created a nonprofit to help others who have experienced traumatic situations. He was working as an investigator in the state comptroller's office at the building when the crash occurred. He had just walked away from his desk near the windows when the plane crashed through.
A National Transportation Safety Board report revealed that it only took 14 minutes after Stack took off before the deliberate crash. He left Georgetown Municipal Airport around 9:44 that morning.
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He struck between the first and second floors, exploding on impact. The report stated that the left wing, portions of the fuselage and a propeller blade penetrated the building and were found on the second floor.
On Wednesday, the Austin Fire Department tweeted a picture of crews responding to the scene, saying:
"It's hard to believe it's been 10 yrs since the Echelon incident, when Andrew Joseph Stack deliberately flew a small plane into an office bldg in NW Austin. But how did the fire crews get on scene so fast? Luck (or divine intervention) perhaps..."
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