Summary A helicopter on an unauthorized flight has crashed in Cairns, killing the sole occupant. Nautilus Aviation is investigating the unauthorized use of their helicopter and is cooperating with authorities. Australian Transport Safety Board is investigating the crash scene with debris spread around hotel pool and main street.
In the early hours of Monday morning (AEST), the pilot of an "unauthorized" flight was killed when a helicopter (not pictured) crashed into the roof of a luxury hotel in Cairns, Australia. The helicopter, a single-engine Robinson R44, crashed into the waterfront Double Tree Hotel by Hilton around 01:50, sparking a fire that caused around 400 guests to be evacuated. The helicopter is owned by a well-known travel and tourism operator, Nautilus Aviation, which said that the flight was unauthorized.
This morning, Nautilus Aviation issued the following statement: "Nautilus Aviation are working closely with police, the ATSB and other authorities as we investigate the unauthorised use of one of our helicopters in the early hours of this morning. As we continue to fully support the ongoing investigation, we will not be making further comments at this time." Witnesses told various outlets that the helicopter was "going incredibly fast before it crashed into the hotel.
" A bystander, Veronica Knight, said: "It seemed to come from the pier over there and straight down over the sea, straight, and it was going really fast. I thought, 'Wow, that doesn't look right.'.