WELLINGTON, New Zealand. The man who died when a helicopter he was flying crashed onto the roof of a hotel in Cairns, Australia, was a ground crew member with Nautilus Aviation, not a licensed pilot for the company. The incident, which occurred on Monday, has raised significant questions about how the aircraft came to be airborne.
According to Nautilus Aviation, the individual, whose name has not been disclosed, held a helicopter pilot’s license in New Zealand but had no prior flying experience in Australia and was not authorized to operate the company’s helicopters. The company confirmed that the flight was unauthorized and the helicopter had been “misappropriated.”
The crash took place at the DoubleTree Hilton in Cairns, a popular tourist hotel, resulting in the evacuation of around 400 people. The helicopter burst into flames upon impact. Two hotel guests were briefly hospitalized for smoke inhalation, but no other injuries were reported.
Queensland Police Service Acting Chief Superintendent Shane Holmes stated that the crash is believed to be an isolated incident, with no ongoing public safety threat. Authorities are currently investigating how the helicopter was able to take off from Cairns Airport and the circumstances surrounding the unauthorized flight.
The man had recently been promoted to a ground crew position at another Nautilus Aviation base and had attended a social event with colleagues to mark his new role prior to the crash. The company emphasized that the flight was not sanctioned and stressed that their operations adhere to strict safety protocols.
Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker assured that a review of security measures revealed no breach of airport fences or access points. “The airport operates under a federally approved, multi-layered transport security program,” Barker said.
The crash occurred in a busy tourist area of Cairns, which is currently experiencing peak holiday season activity.
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.
