Unauthorized helicopter trip ends in hotel roof crash
A deafening blast wakes residents of an Australian hotel in the middle of the night. A helicopter crashes onto the roof of the building - the pilot is killed. It's suspected that he had stolen the helicopter.
In the north Australian city of Cairns, a helicopter has crashed and landed on the roof of a well-known hotel. The pilot was killed in the accident, which occurred at around 2:00 AM local time, according to Queensland Police. Parts of the "DoubleTree by Hilton" hotel went up in flames after the impact.
Two rotor blades landed in the pool and on the street, according to ABC News. Around 400 people were evacuated from the building as a precaution. Two elderly people were slightly injured and are being treated in hospital. There were no other passengers in the helicopter.
"Deafening Blast"
The hotel is located right on the Esplanade, the popular waterfront promenade of Cairns in tropical Queensland. The area is a no-fly zone. Charter company Nautilus Aviation confirmed that the use of the helicopter was "unauthorized". The company said it is working closely with police and other authorities to investigate the incident.
A hotel guest described a "huge, deafening blast". It sounded like a bomb had hit. Flames then shot up the side of the building. Police subsequently evacuated all guests.
Cairns, with about 160,000 inhabitants, is known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and is popular with tourists from all over the world. The Esplanade by the sea is lined with hotels, bars, and restaurants and has a man-made saltwater lagoon for bathers. Northwest of the city is the Daintree National Park with rainforests and beaches.
The crash of the helicopter on the "DoubleTree by Hilton" hotel roof has raised questions in the Australian aviation community. Authorities are investigating whether the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations, which the helicopter was required to follow, were violated.
Given that the helicopter company, Nautilus Aviation, operates within the regulations set by both Australian and European aviation bodies, the violation of EASA guidelines would be a significant development in the ongoing investigation.
