CAIRNS, Australia. A helicopter crashed onto the roof of the luxury DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Cairns early Monday morning, resulting in the death of the pilot, authorities reported. The incident, which was captured on video, showed flames and smoke rising into the night sky.
The crash occurred around 1:50 a.m. near Cairns Esplanade, a popular waterfront area in the north Queensland city. Hundreds of guests and hotel staff were evacuated into the street as police established a cordon around the busy tourist area.
Charter company Nautilus Aviation, which owns the helicopter, stated that it was cooperating with officials investigating the “unauthorized use” of the aircraft. Witnesses described the helicopter as flying at high speed and very low over the water before the crash.
Veronica Knight, a visitor from Sydney, was on the esplanade when she saw the helicopter flying low and fast. “It was going full speed,” Knight told CNN. She observed the helicopter disappear from view, only to see it return and then crash into the hotel’s roof. Her video footage captured the orange glow of the flames and the smoke rising from the building, with sirens audible in the distance.
Police confirmed that the helicopter, which was the only occupant, was declared dead at the scene. The crash ignited a fire on the hotel’s roof, but there were no other injuries reported. Guests appeared “stunned” as they were evacuated, Knight noted.
DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns assured that all 421 adults, 50 children, and two staff members were safely evacuated. The hotel is arranging alternative accommodation for its guests and is cooperating with authorities in the ongoing investigation.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the forensic crash unit have been dispatched to the scene to collect evidence and conduct interviews. The ATSB is requesting any witnesses with photos or videos of the incident to come forward through their website.
Police have established an exclusion zone around the crash site and are urging the public to avoid the area.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
