A pilot on an “unauthorised” flight has died in a fiery helicopter crash on a far north Queensland hotel roof.
An eyewitness has described how the twin-engine chopper flew around “really fast” before hitting Cairns’ DoubleTree by Hilton before 2 a.m. on Aug. 12 in a “massive explosion.”
“It was like a fuel tank exploding,” tourist Veronica Knight told AAP.
Police have confirmed the pilot—the helicopter’s sole occupant—died at the scene, with hundreds of hotel guests evacuated.
“Forensic investigations are under way to formally identify them,” police said of the pilot.
Helicopter propellers dislodged in the crash, with one landing on the main street and the other in the hotel’s pool.
“We saw the rotor on the ground. I wasn’t far away. It could have got me,” Knight said.
The company that owned the helicopter—Nautilus Aviation—confirmed it had not authorised the chopper’s use.
“Nautilus Aviation are working closely with Queensland Police, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and other authorities as they investigate the unauthorised use of one of our helicopters in the early hours of this morning,” it said in a statement.
“As we continue to fully support the ongoing investigation, we will not be making further comments at this time.”
Up to 400 people were evacuated from the hotel and taken to another venue in Cairns’ city centre.
Two hotel guests, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s, were taken to Cairns Hospital in a stable condition for smoke inhalation.
“Hotel guests had no idea what happened,” Knight said of the crash.
Police declared a Public Safety Preservation Act, an exclusion zone encompassing the city’s Esplanade and Minnie, Aplin and Grafton streets after the crash.
Knight said she saw the helicopter fly around for about 15 minutes, twice going past her “really fast.”
The Sydney tourist said she had never seen a helicopter travel so quickly.
“It came back real fast then went into the hotel. I was very scared,” she said.
“It was like an army helicopter but faster. Like a warplane, like it was going to come in and bomb you.”
The crash resulted in a fire which prevented emergency crews entering the hotel immediately, Queensland Ambulance Service’s Caitlin Denning said.
“At the time, it was too unsafe for us to enter the hotel to view the [impact site],” she told reporters.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles described it as a “terrifying event.”
“I can’t imagine how scary it would be to be asleep and to hear that bang and to have to be evacuated.”
DoubleTree by Hilton management said all guests and staff had been safely evacuated from the premises.
“We are actively arranging alternate accommodations for these guests for this evening,” a statement said.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has sent crash investigators to the scene.
