A recently promoted ground crew member at a Far North Queensland tour company was allegedly the pilot of the stolen helicopter that crashed into a luxury hotel on Cairns Esplanade. / (min cost $ 0 ) or signup to continue reading The tour agency said Nautilus Aviation staff, including off-duty pilots, had drinks together on the night of the crash as a send-off for the unnamed person "who was recently promoted to a ground crew position at another one of our bases". Around 400 guests were evacuated after the helicopter, allegedly stolen from the Nautilus Aviation hanger, crashed into the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel roof at 1.
50am on August 12. The company said it had "now received confirmation from the Queensland Police Service as to the identification of the individual who gained unauthorised access to our helicopter hangar and misappropriated one of our helicopters". "Nautilus Aviation can now confirm this person was a current employee in a ground crew position, joining approximately four months ago," the August 13 statement said.
The tour company said the person held a New Zealand CPL(H) pilot's licence but had "never flown in Australia or for Nautilus Aviation and were not authorised to fly Nautilus Aviation helicopters". "We will be leaving the release of the individual's details to [Queensland Police Service]." The company said the drinks were "not a work event and was coordinated by friends".
"We offer our heartfelt condolences to the individual's family and all who have been affected by this tragedy and continue to offer our support to our employees during this very challenging period." Investigators cleared the area and established an exclusion zone around the hotel asking members of the public to avoid the city's Esplanade around Minnie Street, Abbott Street and Florence Street. Police said the crash started a blaze on the hotel's roof but guests and staff had been safely evacuated.
Paramedics on the scene transported two patients to hospital for treatment who were described as "distressed" but not physically injured. DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns confirmed that alternate accommodation would be arranged for displaced guests for the night of August 12. Police said engineers would establish that the hotel is structurally sound before guests were welcomed back.
Investigators said they "would work out over the course of the next few hours" how to remove the helicopter from the hotel roof on August 12. Queensland Ambulance senior operations supervisor in Caitlin Denning said it was "too unsafe" to inspect the crash from inside the hotel. "The helicopter impacted the roof of the hotel, however two propellers have dislodged," she said.
"One landed on the Cairns Esplanade and there was a second propeller located in the hotel pool on the bottom floor and it was on fire. "There were reports of it sounding like a bomb, and seeing the fire and smoke, a lot of the occupants of the hotel were unsure of the situation." The DoubleTree by Hilton hotel shares a block with Vision Cairns Apartments, Crystalbrook Riley Hotel and Crystalbrook's towering rooftop restaurant Rocco.
The Forensic Crash Unit and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will prepare a report for the Coroner, police said. An investigation into the crash is continuing. Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM).
She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.
com.au Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine.
Reach out with news or updates to [email protected].
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