A man has died after a helicopter crashed into the roof of the Double Tree Hotel by Hilton in Cairns, Australia, early this morning. The crash, which occurred around 1:50 a.m. local time, caused a fire on the hotel roof and led to the evacuation of up to 400 people.
Emergency services arrived at the scene to find the helicopter, a twin-engine aircraft, ablaze. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the helicopter, was declared dead at the scene. Forensic investigators are working to formally identify the victim.
The helicopter’s owner, Nautilus Aviation, has stated that the flight was “unauthorized.”
In a statement to ABC, the company said: Nautilus Aviation are working closely with Queensland Police, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and other authorities as they investigate the unauthorized use of one of our helicopters in the early hours of this morning,” the company said in a statement to the ABC.
“As we continue to fully support the ongoing investigation, we will not be making further comments at this time.”
Reports from The Courier-Mail indicate that no flight plan had been filed for the helicopter. Bystander Veronica Knight reported that the helicopter was traveling at an extremely high speed before crashing into the hotel.
Despite the dramatic nature of the incident, no injuries were reported among the hotel guests or staff.
