Australia: A helicopter on an unauthorized flight crashed into the roof of the Hilton hotel in Cairns, a popular tourist destination in northern Australia, early Monday morning. The crash resulted in the death of the pilot and forced hundreds of guests to evacuate after a fire broke out, according to authorities.

 

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Emergency Response and Evacuations

Emergency crews were alerted at around 2 a.m. local time (1600 GMT on Sunday) when the twin-engine helicopter collided with the hotel’s roof, igniting part of the building and prompting immediate evacuations, Queensland state police reported.

Unauthorised Flight and Pilot’s Identity

Police confirmed that the helicopter was taken from its hangar at Cairns airport for an ‘unauthorized flight’, though they did not provide further details. The pilot, who was flying solo, was pronounced dead at the scene. The pilot’s identity has not yet been released, and police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the flight and how the aircraft was accessed.

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Incident Location and Aftermath

The crash occurred at the Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in Cairns, a city known as a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. As of 5:30 p.m. local time (0730 GMT), the hotel remained closed, with guests being relocated. Two hotel guests, an elderly man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s, were taken to the hospital but have since been discharged. Remarkably, two of the helicopter’s rotor blades detached, with one landing in the hotel pool, according to reports

Ongoing Investigation

Queensland Police’s forensic crash unit will collaborate with Australia’s transport safety regulator to investigate the incident further. Nautilus Aviation, the owner of the helicopter, stated that it is cooperating fully with the police investigation into the unauthorized use of the aircraft.

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