A helicopter on an unauthorized flight crashed into the roof of a Hilton hotel in Cairns, Australia, early Monday morning, killing the pilot and causing a fire that forced hundreds of guests to evacuate, authorities reported.
Emergency crews were alerted around 2 a.m. local time (1600 GMT on Sunday) after the twin-engine helicopter struck the hotel roof, igniting part of the structure and prompting the evacuations, according to Queensland state police.
The helicopter had been taken from its hangar at Cairns airport without authorization, police said, though they did not provide further details. The pilot, who was flying alone, was pronounced dead at the scene. The identity of the pilot has not yet been released.
Police assured that the incident was isolated and posed no threat to public safety. The pilot’s intentions and the circumstances under which the helicopter was taken remain unknown.
The crash occurred at Hilton’s DoubleTree Hotel in Cairns, a popular tourist destination and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. The hotel was closed following the incident, and guests were relocated, according to hotel staff.
Two hotel guests, an elderly man and woman, were hospitalized and later discharged, state broadcaster ABC reported. Additionally, two of the helicopter’s rotor blades detached, with one landing in the hotel pool.
A forensic crash unit is collaborating with Australia’s transport safety regulator to investigate the details of the crash, police stated.
Nautilus Aviation, the owner of the helicopter, confirmed its cooperation with the police investigation into the unauthorized flight.