Small plane crashes into building in Austin, Texas

February 18, 2010

By JIM VERTUNO, Associated Press Writer Jim Vertuno, Associated Press Writer

8 mins ago

AUSTIN, Texas – A low-flying small plane crashed into an office building that

houses the Internal Revenue Service in Austin, Texas on Thursday, and at least

one person was missing, witnesses and officials said.

Assistant Austin Fire Chief Harry said two people have also been taken to

a hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known.

A law enforcement official said the crash did not initially appear to be the

result of a crime or terrorism. The official spoke on condition of anonymity

because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss the crash.

Thick black and gray smoke was billowing out of the second and third stories of

the building Thursday as fire crews using ladder trucks and hoses battled the

fire. Dozens of windows were blown out of the hulking black building, and

vehicles traveling on a nearby highway paused to look.

Peggy , an IRS revenue officer who works in the building said she was

sitting at her desk when the plane crashed.

" It felt like a bomb blew off. The ceiling caved in and windows blew in. We got

up and ran, " she said.

Matt Farney, 39, who was in the parking lot of a nearby Home Depot, said he saw

a low-flying private plane near some apartments and the office building just

before it crashed.

" I figured he was going to buzz the apartments or he was showing off, " Farney

said, adding that the plane dipped down. " It was a ball of flames that was high

or higher than the apartments. It was surreal. It was insane. ... It didn't look

like he was out of control or anything. "

Sitting at her desk about a half-mile from the crash, Santibanez said

she felt vibrations. She and her co-workers ran to the windows, where they saw a

scene that reminded them of the 2001 terrorist attacks, she said.

" It was the same kind of scenario with window panels falling out and desks

falling out and paperwork flying, " said Santibanez, an accountant.

Fire crews were inside the building battling the blaze and looking for

survivors, said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the agency was

investigating but had no immediate information on the type of plane or how many

people were on board.

____

Associated Press writers April Castro and Jay Root in Austin and Devlin Barrett

in Washington contributed to this report.

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