Cairns helicopter crash: Shocking details of final moments of pilot who crashed into DoubleTree by Hilton

A man who stole a helicopter was in the air for just four minutes before it crashed into a waterfront hotel, injuring two guests and forcing hundreds of people to evacuate the burning building.

Emergency services were called to the Double Tree Hotel by Hilton in the north Queensland city of Cairns at 1.50am on Monday.

Queensland Ambulance confirmed a helicopter “crashed onto the roof of a hotel” and nearly 400 people had been evacuated from the building.

The pilot, a man in his 40s, was killed, while an elderly couple staying in one of the rooms were rushed to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation.

The man is believed to have been an employee of Nautilus Aviation, a private charter company that operates from seven bases in northern Australia, including Cairns, The Australian reported.

The Nautilus helicopter, a Robinson 44, was picked up from the airport’s general aviation department at 01:48 and flown to the business district, via Cairns Esplanade – a no-fly zone.

The aircraft remained in the air for only four minutes. Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter flying at high speed and low to the ground before crashing into the roof of the hotel.

Aaron Finn, managing director of Nautilus Aviation, confirmed that the helicopter had been “stolen” and that the flight was unauthorized and unplanned.

Emergency services were called to the Double Tree Hotel by Hilton in Cairns after a helicopter crashed into the roof of the building, causing a massive fire

Part of the helicopter’s rotor blade landed in a park across the Esplanade (pictured)

Mr Finn added that his company’s pilots were safe and sound at the scene, but he could not rule out that another employee was responsible.

“We have quite a lot of staff in the organisation. We can’t identify (the person responsible) from CCTV footage, it’s very dark,” Mr Finn said.

According to Doug Drury, head of aviation at CQUniversity, the man may have gained access to the helicopter hangar by using a code or by climbing over the fence.

Mr Drury explained that most airlines use coded keypads to block access to their aircraft and the airside area of ​​the airport.

“I’ve used them in airports all over the world, but it’s a generic code and if you’ve ever worked in this location, you know where to go and how to get in,” Mr Drury told the ABC.

‘They are changing the codes and I would imagine that all the facilities at Cairns Airport now have a new code on their doors and on their gate locks.

“They’re going to go through all the security camera footage to see how this person got in and how he was able to start the plane.”

Mr Drury added that the helicopter crash is forcing national and international airports to reassess airport access and security.

The pilot, a man in his 40s, was killed while an elderly couple staying in one of the rooms below the impact point (pictured) were rushed to hospital for smoke inhalation.

Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter flying at high speed and low to the ground before crashing into the roof of the hotel (photo)

Police confirmed that the man was the sole occupant of the helicopter and was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation is underway to formally identify the man and determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has also launched an investigation into the events leading up to the crash.

Richard Barker, Cairns Airport’s general manager, also confirmed that they are assisting authorities with the investigation.

Queensland Police announced a Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) and an exclusion zone was established encompassing Esplanade, Minnie Street, Aplin Street and Grafton Street.

More coming soon…