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The pilot of a helicopter has died after crashing into the roof of a Cairns hotel in the early hours of Monday morning.
Hundreds were evacuated from the Double Tree Hotel on the Cairns Esplanade after the Robinson R44 helicopter collided with the roof at around 1:50am, causing a fire. Two people were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.
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“The resulting impact caused a fire on top of the hotel; however, the building was evacuated as a precaution and there were no injuries sustained by people on the ground,” Queensland Police said in a statement.
“The pilot and single occupant of the aircraft was located and declared deceased at the scene, and forensic investigations are underway to formally identify them.”
The company that owned the helicopter, Nautilus Aviation, told the Cairns Post that the flight was “unauthorised” and no flight plan had been filed, though it is not yet clear whether the pilot was an employee of the tour and private charter company.
Witnesses reported a loud bang like a bomb going off as the aircraft impacted the roof of the hotel, with debris landing in the street and pool, while others said the helicopter had been flying at high speeds just before the crash.
The fire after the helicopter crashed on the roof of Double Tree Hotel in Cairns. A friend was staying there. pic.twitter.com/Q5mkJ0BYHc
— Ben Pennings (@BenPennings) August 11, 2024
Caitlin Denning, Queensland Ambulance Service’s senior operations supervisor in Cairns, told media around three to four hundred people were forced to evacuate, with emergency services initially unable to enter the hotel to inspect the wreckage.
“The helicopter impacted the roof of the hotel however two propellers have dislodged from the helicopter landing on the Cairns esplanade and there was a second propeller located in the hotel pool on the bottom floor,” she said.
“There were reports of it sounding like a bomb, and seeing the fire and smoke, a lot of the occupants of the hotel were unsure of the situation. There is a lot of unease here.”
Police established an exclusion zone around the hotel, encompassing The Esplanade, Minnie Street, Abbott Street and Florence Street.
“The Forensic Crash Unit, working alongside the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), will prepare a report for the Coroner. Investigations are ongoing,” the police said.
