Chaos in Cairns as “unauthorised” helicopter crashes into the DoubleTree Hilton and erupts into a ball of flames

Chaos in Cairns as “unauthorised” helicopter crashes into the DoubleTree Hilton and erupts into a ball of flames

More than 400 guests were evacuated from the DoubleTree Hilton in Cairns in the early hours of this morning after a helicopter crashed into the roof and erupted into a ball of flames.

The pilot of the helicopter has died and two guests are currently in hospital being treated for smoke inhalation.

Emergency services were called to the burning building at around 01:50 am following reports of a fire.

A witness who saw the crash told radio station 2GB that they saw an aircraft fly “full force” into the building.

“The next thing I knew I saw it fly towards the hotel building and I saw the big explosion … it hit the building,” she said.

Social media footage shows the entire roof of the hotel engulfed in flames whilst black smoke billows out of the top.

Forensic investigators are trying to identify the pilot who died at the scene and is reported to be in his 40s. The injured couple are a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s. Both are said to be in a stable condition.

In a twist, it has been reported that the helicopter may have been stolen. The aircraft is believed to be part of the fleet of Nautilus Aviation. All of the accredited pilots working for Nautilus have been accounted for, Sources told Daily Mail Australia. 

The airline’s CEO Aaron Finn told The Australian that the flight was “unauthorised and unplanned’ and that the helicopter was stolen from the airport in the early hours of the morning.

Finn added that all staff had been given the day off to deal with the shock.

Two of the helicopter blades came off and landed in the hotel pool however, thankfully, there were no injuries on the ground.

Hotel guest Alastair Salmon woke up to a “a colossal ear-deafening bang”. He went on to say that the crash felt like a bomb going off, with flames “rising up the side of the building”.

“Then we looked up there and you could see this massive hole in the window of the building,” he added.

Queensland Police declared a Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) and Esplanade, Minnie Street, Aplin Street and Grafton Street were declared an exclusion zone.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is sending a team of investigators.

Feature image: ABC News

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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