A pilot who died after crashing a stolen helicopter into a hotel in Australia had attended a party with staff members the night before, according to their employer.
The helicopter belonged to Queensland-based tour agency Nautilus Aviation, which stated that the employee had been celebrating at a private farewell gathering with colleagues just hours before the crash.
Nautilus explained that the pilot was licensed to fly helicopters in New Zealand but had never flown in Australia. The crash resulted in the pilot’s death, while two hotel guests were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
In a statement to the BBC, Nautilus mentioned that the individual had recently been promoted to a “ground crew position” at one of the company’s other bases. On Sunday night, he attended a private farewell event with colleagues, which also included off-duty pilots. Nautilus clarified that this was “not a work event and was coordinated by friends.”
The company added that the pilot later gained “unauthorized access to our helicopter hangar.” The helicopter crashed into the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Cairns, northern Queensland, at approximately 01:50 local time on Monday (16:50 BST Sunday), causing a fire and prompting the evacuation of around 400 guests.
Authorities confirmed that the pilot, the helicopter’s sole occupant, died at the scene, and two hotel guests—an 80-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman—were hospitalized in stable condition. Amanda Kay, a hotel guest, described seeing a helicopter flying “extra low” without lights in rainy weather.
“[It] has turned round and hit the building,” she said, adding that the aircraft “blew up”.
Another bystander said she saw the helicopter fly past the hotel twice in the moments before the collision.
“Boy that was going fast, that helicopter. Unbelievable,” a woman said, in video showing the fiery aftermath of the crash.
“It was just going out of control, that thing was.”
Two of the helicopter’s rotor blades detached upon impact, with one landing on the esplanade and the other in the hotel pool, according to the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS).
In its statement, Nautilus Aviation confirmed that it had completed interviews with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Queensland Police Service (QPS), fully cooperating and providing complete transparency in disclosing the events leading up to and following the incident.
“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the individual’s family and all who have been affected by this tragedy and continue to offer our support to our employees during this very challenging period,” the statement said.
“We will continue to work very closely with QPS and the ATSB as they investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Located in northern Queensland, the city of Cairns is a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef.
