- Helicopter crash killed the pilot.
- A pilot died after crashing into a hotel in Australia.
- Australian hotel got hit by a helicopter, which killed the pilot.
A helicopter crashed into the roof of a hotel in Cairns, causing the death of the pilot.
An airplane crashed into the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel at approximately 01:50am local time on Monday (16:50B Sunday), causing a fire and leading to the removal of numerous guests.
Officials report that the sole individual in the helicopter perished onsite, while two hotel patrons – a male in his 80s and a female in her 70s – were transported to the hospital in stable condition.
Queensland Police and the aviation safety watchdog are looking into the details of the accident, as the helicopter charter company claims the flight was not authorized.
Amanda Kay, staying at the hotel on the main esplanade in Cairns, reported witnessing a helicopter flying “extremely low”, without lights in rainy conditions.
“It hit the building after turning around,” she reported, mentioning that the plane exploded.
Yet another witness claimed to have observed the helicopter pass by the hotel twice just before the accident occurred.
Wow, that helicopter was moving quickly. “A woman expressed disbelief in footage showing the fiery aftermath of the crash.”
“That thing was simply spiraling out of hand.”
According to Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS), two of the helicopter’s rotor blades fell off upon impact, landing on the esplanade and in the hotel pool.
Spokeswoman Caitlin Dennings told the media that there were reports suggesting the noise resembled a bomb, and many hotel guests felt uncertain after witnessing smoke and fire.
Another guest at the hotel, Alastair Salmon, characterized it to the ABC as “a massive and deafening noise”.
Mr Salmon, from London, was one of approximately 400 individuals who were relocated from the hotel.
He recounted spotting the helicopter’s rotor blade on the ground nearby, thinking it was a lamppost.
“Afterwards, when we glanced upwards, we noticed a huge hole in the building’s window,” he informed the ABC.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has announced that it will dispatch investigators to the location.
Nautilus Aviation announced that they will cooperate with Queensland authorities to investigate the unauthorized use of one of their helicopters this morning.
Police declared an emergency situation and cordoned off the streets around the hotel.
Situated in the northern part of Queensland, Cairns is a well-liked tourist spot because of its close location to the Great Barrier Reef.
In other news, see also: Big fall in migrant visa applications after changes.
Pilot killed as chopper crashes into Australian hotel.
