Pilot killed as ‘stolen’ helicopter crashes into hotel in Australia

A helicopter that crashed into a Far North Queensland hotel roof in Australia was stolen before being taken on an “unauthorised flight”, the aviation company it belonged to has confirmed.

The pilot, who has not yet been identified, was alone in the helicopter and died at the scene.

Debris from a helicopter crash in Far North Queensland.

Investigations are continuing into who was flying the aircraft, but Nautilus Aviation CEO Aaron Finn confirmed to the ABC that all its pilots had been accounted for.

Up to 400 people were evacuated from the DoubleTree by Hilton on Cairns Esplanade after the crash, which set the top of the building alight, shortly before 2am today, police said.

Two of the helicopter’s rotor blades came off and landed on the esplanade and in the hotel pool. There were no injuries on the ground.

Charter company Nautilus Aviation said the use of the helicopter was “unauthorised”.

Investigators wear ATSB uniforms as they inspect the scene, which is taped off from public access.

“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.

“As we continue to fully support the ongoing investigation, we will not be making further comments at this time.”

Two hotel guests — a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s — were taken to Cairns Hospital in a stable condition and have since been discharged.

Debris scattered across the Cairns Esplanade.

ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell described one of the hotel rooms close to the crash as a “catastrophic sight”.

“It was devastation, obviously, the blades of the helicopter have gone into the room,” he told the ABC.

He said because of the significant wreckage, it would take some time for investigators to answer questions over the nature of the flight and the sequence of events.

“Now we understand the helicopter was only in the air for a very short period of time coming out of the Cairns airport, down across parts of Cairns itself, and then ultimately into the side of the building,” he said.

A close-up of a man speaking wearing a navy cap with yellow writing.

“We’ll piece that together from not only witness statements and some of the CCTV that have captured it, but equally, what we can actually gather from the crash site itself, any of the recording devices that were on and operable on the helicopter that we can recover now.”