Australian helicopter crashes on hotel rooftop

In the early hours of August 12, 2024 local time, a helicopter crashed on the rooftop of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Cairns, Queensland, northeastern Australia.

Queensland police said the helicopter crashed on the hotel rooftop shortly before 2 a.m. There was only the pilot on board, who died on the spot. Forensic experts are investigating to officially confirm the identity of the victim. The two propellers of the helicopter landed on the Esplanade and in the hotel swimming pool respectively, with one of the propellers falling into the hotel's pool.

After the accident, the police cordoned off several blocks near the hotel. There were hundreds of guests in the hotel at that time. For safety reasons, they have all been evacuated urgently. No other casualties on the ground have been found for the time being. Two elderly hotel guests were sent to the hospital due to shock and have now been discharged.

According to witnesses, the helicopter was flying very fast and made a huge explosion and caught fire when it crashed. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the cause of the accident.

In addition, the Nautilus Aviation, the helicopter service company involved, said the use of the helicopter was "unauthorized". The company is working closely with the Queensland police, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and other departments to fully support the investigation and will not comment further for now.