A pilot died in a serious accident after he hijacked a helicopter belonging to his own company and crashed it onto the roof of a Hilton hotel in Australia. Hours before the crash, he had attended a party thrown to celebrate a promotion, his company said.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning in the popular tourist city of Cairns, a coastal town near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. After the helicopter crashed into the DoubleTree by Hilton, hundreds of hotel guests had to be evacuated as smoke and flames rose from the hotel’s roof.
A couple who were staying at the hotel were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and have since been released. No one was injured in the accident, authorities said.
A broken window hangs precariously at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Cairns, Australia, after a helicopter crashed into the roof early Monday, August 12, 2024.
Brian Cassey/AAP Image via AP
On Tuesday afternoon, the company the pilot worked for released a statement providing new details about the circumstances of the crash.
Nautilus Aviation wrote that the deceased was a member of the company’s ground crew. He held a helicopter pilot’s license in New Zealand but was not authorized to fly in Australia.
The worker somehow managed to “gain unauthorized access to our helicopter hangar and steal one of our helicopters.”
Hours before the crash, Nautilus Aviation employees had thrown a going-away party for the man to celebrate his promotion to ground crew at another company location.
“We can confirm that this event did indeed take place and was a privately organized farewell for the individual involved in the incident on Monday morning,” the company wrote. “This was not a work event and was coordinated by friends.”
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An anonymous company source told 9News Queensland that the worker had been drinking at the party before the accident.
Nearly 400 people were evacuated from the DoubleTree Hilton in Cairns after the helicopter crashed into the roof at around 2am on Monday. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft flying along the coast at high speed and remarkably low to the ground. The Cairns Hilton is located right on the coast.
Witnesses also reported seeing the helicopter fly past the hotel twice before crashing into the roof.
Veronica Knight, who was staying at the Hilton that night, told CNN she first saw the helicopter flying at “full speed” before disappearing from view. A few minutes later, it was back and she saw the plane turn and head straight for the hotel, crashing into the roof and bursting into flames and smoke.
Knight posted a video of the aftermath of the crash on her Facebook page, showing orange smoke rising from the roof of the Hilton as alarms go off.
Amanda Kay, who was also staying at the hotel, told the BBC she saw the helicopter flying “extra low” in rainy weather without its lights on. The aircraft “exploded” on impact, she said.
Several Australian news outlets reported that the deceased pilot was Blake Wilson, a 23-year-old New Zealander. Authorities have not officially released the victim’s name. Queensland Police Service (QPS) Assistant Commissioner Shane Holmes told reporters that the pilot was the only occupant of the helicopter.
The wreckage of the helicopter was recovered from the roof of the hotel on Monday evening, but the building remains cordoned off while authorities assess its structural integrity. The crash left behind burn marks and broken windows.
The crash caused two of the helicopter’s rotor blades to fly off. One landed on the hotel’s beachfront promenade and the other in the pool, Queensland Ambulance Service said.
Witness Veronica Knight walks past helicopter wreckage in Cairns, Australia, after the plane crashed, Monday, August 12, 2024.
Brian Cassey/AAP Image via AP
Nautilus Aviation said it was cooperating with authorities and had held discussions with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and Queensland Police. Recording equipment from the helicopter had been sent for analysis to better understand the events leading up to the crash.
Investigators believe the helicopter was stolen from the Nautilus hangar at Cairns Airport, about five kilometers from the Hilton Hotel.
Nautilus Aviation wrote that the company “extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and all those affected by this tragedy and continues to offer its support to our employees during this extremely difficult time.”
“We will continue to work very closely with QPS and ATSB as they investigate the circumstances of the incident.”
Global News has reached out to Nautilus Aviation for further details but has not received a response by the time of publication.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
