During an early-morning flight that authorities have labeled as “unauthorised,” a helicopter in Cairns, Australia, crashed into the roof of a hotel, tragically killing the pilot. When the aircraft struck the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in the northern Queensland city on Monday at around 01:50 local time, a fire broke out and hundreds of guests had to be evacuated.<\/p>\n
The only person inside the helicopter passed away at the scene, according to authorities. A 70-year-old woman and an 80-year-old man who were hotel guests were also transported to the hospital in stable condition.<\/p>\n
Local media outlets have speculated that the helicopter might have been pilfered. The aircraft’s owner, Nautilus Aviation, released a statement indicating that they would work closely with Queensland authorities to look into the “unauthorized use of one of our helicopters in the early hours of this morning.”<\/p>\n
Witnesses described the terrifying moments preceding the collision. In wet weather, Amanda Kay, a hotel guest, saw the helicopter flying “extra low” without lights before it “turned round and hit the building.” She also mentioned that when it hit, the plane “blew up.” Two witnesses saw the helicopter fly past the hotel before it crashed, and they both described it as being “out of control.”<\/p>\n
Two of the helicopter’s rotor blades broke off due to the force of the crash, one of which landed in the hotel pool and the other on the esplanade, according to the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS). Speaking of the chaos and confusion among the hotel’s occupants, QAS spokeswoman Caitlin Dennings said, “there have been reports it sounded like a bomb.”<\/p>\n
London visitor Alastair Salmon, who was staying at the hotel, called the incident “a colossal ear-deafening bang.” Approximately 400 people were evacuated from the building, including him. Before noticing “a massive hole in the window of the building,” Salmon thought one of the detached rotor blades on the ground was a lamppost.<\/p>\n
Following the collision, Queensland Police declared an emergency and closed off the streets around the hotel. The Queensland Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) are currently conducting investigations to ascertain the events leading up to the unfortunate incident.<\/p>\n
Northern Queensland’s Cairns is a popular tourist destination, especially for visitors to the nearby Great Barrier Reef. The aftermath of this shocking incident is currently being dealt with by the city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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