A pilot has tragically died after a helicopter crashed into the roof of a hotel in Cairns, Australia, during an early morning flight described by authorities as “unauthorised.” The incident occurred at approximately 01:50 local time on Monday, when the aircraft collided with the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in the northern Queensland city, igniting a fire and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of guests.
Authorities confirmed that the helicopter’s sole occupant died at the scene. Additionally, two hotel guests, an 80-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman, were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
There have been suggestions in local media that the helicopter may have been stolen. Nautilus Aviation, the company that owned the aircraft, issued a statement expressing their intent to cooperate fully with Queensland authorities as they investigate the “unauthorised use of one of our helicopters in the early hours of this morning.”
Eyewitnesses recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the crash. Amanda Kay, a guest at the hotel, described seeing the helicopter flying “extra low” without lights in rainy weather before it “turned round and hit the building.” She added that the aircraft “blew up” upon impact. Another witness reported seeing the helicopter fly past the hotel twice before the collision, describing it as “out of control.”
The force of the crash caused two of the helicopter’s rotor blades to detach, with one landing on the esplanade and the other in the hotel pool, according to the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS). “There’s been reports it sounded like a bomb,” said QAS spokeswoman Caitlin Dennings, noting the chaos and confusion among the hotel’s occupants.
Alastair Salmon, a tourist from London staying at the hotel, described the incident to the ABC as “a colossal ear-deafening bang.” He was among approximately 400 people evacuated from the building. Salmon initially mistook one of the detached rotor blades on the ground for a lamppost until he noticed “a massive hole in the window of the building.”
In the aftermath of the crash, streets surrounding the hotel were cordoned off, and Queensland Police declared an emergency situation. Investigations by the Queensland Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
Cairns, located in northern Queensland, is a well-known tourist destination, particularly for those visiting the nearby Great Barrier Reef. The city is now grappling with the aftermath of this shocking incident.
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