A man has died when a helicopter crashed into the roof of a Cairns hotel, creating a huge fireball that forced the evacuation of up to 400 people.
At around 1:50 a.m. (local time), emergency crews were called to the Double Tree Hotel by Hilton after receiving reports that a twin-engine helicopter had crashed into a roof.
The pilot and sole occupant of the helicopter was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Forensic investigators are currently working on his official identification, police said.
The company that owns the helicopter reportedly said the flight was “unauthorized.”
“Nautilus Aviation is working closely with Queensland Police, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and other agencies as they investigate the unauthorised use of one of our helicopters in the early hours of this morning,” the company said in a statement to ABC.
“As we continue to fully support the ongoing investigation, we will not be making any further comment at this time.”
The Courier-Mail had previously reported that no flight plan had been drawn up.
It remains unclear whether the pilot was an employee.
NewsWire has contacted Nautilus Aviation for further comment.
A passerby, Veronica Knight, said the helicopter was flying at incredible speed before crashing into the hotel.
“It seemed to come from the pier over there and come straight across the ocean, straight, and it was really, really fast. I thought, ‘Wow, that doesn’t look right,'” she told Sunrise on Monday morning.
“It was pretty low, so I… I tried to film it, but it went too fast. And then it disappeared for about five to ten minutes. Then I got a shock, it came back again.
“It came back along the sea. And along the esplanade, and then suddenly it turned right.
“I just saw a big explosion and what looked like a huge fire and I thought, yeah, it hit the motel directly.”
After the crash, a fire broke out on the roof of the hotel and up to 400 people had to be evacuated. However, no one on the ground was injured.
Paramedics previously confirmed that they were called to the scene shortly after 2 a.m. and examined a male patient with life-threatening injuries.
Another man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s were treated and taken to Cairns Hospital in a stable condition.
Seven reports that the couple were in the room beneath the crash site and were treated for shock.
Caitlin Dennings, senior operations manager for Queensland Ambulance Service Far Northern Region, said witnesses told her the incident “sounded like a bomb”.
“The helicopter struck the roof of the hotel, however two propellers came off the helicopter which landed on the Cairns Esplanade and a second propeller was in the hotel’s ground floor pool,” she told the Cairns Post.
Police have advised the public to avoid the area.
A restricted area remains in place and includes the Esplanade and Minnie, Abbott and Florence streets.
