Helicopter crashes into hotel in Australia, leaving pilot dead as huge fireball breaks out on roof

12 August 2024, 05:16 | Updated: 12 August 2024, 06:44

A helicopter has crashed into a hotel in Australia, killing the pilot.

The helicopter crashed into the roof of the Hilton Doubletree hotel in Cairns, a city on the north-eastern coast, shortly before 2am local time.

The pilot was the only person inside the helicopter.

Two hotel guests - a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s - were injured in the crash.

Videos shared online show a large fire breaking out. The hotel was evacuated.

Queensland Police said: "The pilot and single occupant of the aircraft was located and declared deceased at the scene, and forensic investigations are under way to formally identify them.

"The building was evacuated as a precaution and there were no injuries sustained by people on the ground.

"The Forensic Crash Unit, working alongside the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), will prepare a report for the coroner."

Police put up a safety perimeter around the hotel.

Two of the helicopter's propellers came off, with one falling into the hotel pool.

One person described the scenes as "absolute madness"

They added: "Boy that was going fast the helicopter... a red helicopter... it went past twice.

"It was just going out of control that thing was."

Queensland Police Service Acting Chief Superintendent Shane Holmes said it was not known if the man flying the helicopter held a pilot's licence or if he worked for the company that owned the craft, Nautilus Aviation.

"There is no further threat to the community, and we believe this is an isolated incident," Mr Holmes said.

Nautilus Aviation said in an unattributed written statement that the flight was "unauthorised" but would not supply any further details.