Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

'Unauthorized' helicopter flight ends with crash on hotel roof in Australia, killing pilot

Share
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -

A man died after an unauthorized helicopter flight in Queensland, Australia ended in a crash on a hotel roof early Monday morning, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of people from the building as flames engulfed the aircraft.

Authorities in the city of Cairns said that they had not confirmed the identity of the pilot, his reason for making the flight or how the tourist helicopter was able to take off from Cairns Airport.

A couple staying at the hotel was hospitalized suffering from smoke inhalation and have now been discharged, Queensland Police Service Acting Chief Superintendent Shane Holmes told reporters. No one else on the ground was hurt.

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," Holmes said.

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

Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker said initial findings of a review Monday showed "no compromise of the airport security program or processes."

About 400 people were evacuated from the hotel after the crash, which happened in the early hours of the morning in a busy tourist district of Cairns -- a tropical city of 150,000 people in far north Queesland -- where it is peak season for holidaymakers. Witnesses told local news outlets the crash sounded like a bomb exploding.

Smoke and flames billowed from the roof of the Doubletree Hilton and one of the helicopter's rotor blades landed in the hotel pool, the Australian broadcaster ABC reported.

The hotel remains cordoned off while its structural integrity is being examined.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A Manitoba man convicted of murder 50 years ago has been acquitted. Clarence Woodhouse was found guilty in 1974 of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg.

An Ontario child has died after coming in contact with a rabid bat, a health official confirmed on Wednesday.

Local Spotlight

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.

On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.