‘A colossal ear-deafening bang’: Pilot killed after helicopter crashes into hotel in Cairns
By William Davis
A helicopter that crashed into a waterfront hotel in Cairns, killing the pilot, was on an “unauthorised” flight, according to the company that charters it.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from the Double Tree Hilton Hotel on the Esplanade in the north Queensland town after the twin-engine helicopter crashed into the roof and burst into flames about 1.50am on Monday.
A witness who saw the crash from the Esplanade told Sydney radio station 2GB that she saw the helicopter fly away from the hotel before circling back at “full force and full speed”.
“The next thing I knew I saw it fly towards the hotel building and I saw the big explosion ... it hit the building,” the woman who gave her name as Veronica said.
The pilot was a man in his 40s, Nine News reported.
Two hotel guests, an 83-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman, were taken to hospital in a stable condition. They were not seriously injured.
Two of the helicopter’s rotor blades came off and were found on the Esplanade and in the hotel pool, although no one on the ground was injured.
Charter company Nautilus Aviation released a statement saying the use of their helicopter was “unauthorised”.
“Nautilus Aviation are working closely with Queensland Police, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and other authorities as they investigate the unauthorised use of one of our helicopters in the early hours of this morning,” the statement reads.
“As we continue to fully support the ongoing investigation, we will not be making further comments at this time.”
Hotel guest Alastair Salmon, who was staying on the third floor, told the ABC he woke up to “a colossal, ear-deafening bang”.
His roommate, Harry Holberton, likened it to a bomb going off.
“All over the hotel, there was debris, parts of a windscreen,” Holberton told the ABC.
Police have cordoned off an exclusion zone around the hotel.
Speaking from Brisbane, Queensland Premier Steven Miles described the crash as “terrifying” but said his cabinet had been told there was “no ongoing threat”.
“I’ve slept in that hotel there in Cairns before. I can’t imagine how scary it would be to be asleep and to hear that bang and to have to be evacuated,” Miles said.
Caitlin Denning, Queensland Ambulance senior operations supervisor in Cairns, said between 300 and 400 people were being evacuated from the Double Tree Hotel as crews arrived at the scene.
“At the time, it was too unsafe for us to enter the hotel to view the [impact site],” she said.
“The helicopter impacted the roof of the hotel; however, two propellers have dislodged.
“One landed on the Cairns Esplanade, and there was a second propeller located in the hotel pool on the bottom floor, and it was on fire.”
Denning said the noise generated by the impact was frightening.
“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.”
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and Queensland Police’s Forensic Crash Unit are investigating the crash and will prepare a report for the coroner.
with AAP