A pilot who was not authorized to fly a helicopter in Australia was killed after crashing into a luxury hotel in Cairns. The twin-engine helicopter crashed near the Cairns Esplanade, causing guests and staff at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel to be evacuated. The pilot, who was the only occupant of the aircraft, was declared dead at the scene. Two people sleeping on the top floor of the hotel were also taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The helicopter burst into flames upon impact, damaging some windows of the seven-story building. No one on the ground was injured in the incident. The pilot had been with Nautilus Aviation, the charter company, in a ground crew position for four months and had attended a party the night before the crash. The pilot was licensed to fly helicopters in New Zealand but had never flown for the company in Australia and was not authorized to fly Nautilus Aviation helicopters. The company is cooperating with the authorities in the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Nautilus Aviation operates luxury helicopters available for flights, private charters, emergency response, and other services.
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Helicopter crash at Cairns, Australia hotel claims pilot’s life
