A pilot has perished following a helicopter crash onto the roof of a hotel in far north Queensland. The Double Tree Hotel in Cairns summoned emergency services just before 2am. The pilot, the sole occupant of the helicopter, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a statement from Queensland Police.
Queensland Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Shane Holmes stated that the aircraft had been moved from a hangar early that morning and that the flight was not authorised. Holmes mentioned that the police were in the process of confirming the identity of the individual piloting the helicopter and it was uncertain if they possessed a pilot's license.
Angus Mitchell, Chief Commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, reported that investigators from Brisbane and Canberra are in Cairns to determine the sequence of events leading to the helicopter's crash into the hotel. The incident led to the activation of a Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA), establishing an exclusion zone around Cairns' Esplanade and the streets of Minnie, Aplin, and Grafton.
Caitlin Denning, Queensland Ambulance's Senior Operations Supervisor in Cairns, reported the evacuation of 300 to 400 people from the hotel as emergency teams responded. Denning explained to the press that it was too dangerous to enter the hotel to inspect the crash site at the time.
"The helicopter struck the hotel's roof, causing two propellers to detach. One landed on the Cairns Esplanade, and the other, ablaze, was found in the hotel's pool on the ground floor."
Two guests of the hotel, a man in his eighties and a woman in her seventies, were transported to Cairns Hospital in stable conditions.
Aircraft Information:
Owner / Operator: Nautilus Aviation Pty Ltd
Aircraft: Robinson R44 Raven 11
Registration: VH-ERH
Serial Number: 12465
First Flew: January 2008
Age: 16.7 Years
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