A helicopter pilot was in the air for just four minutes before crashing the stolen aircraft into a waterfront hotel, injuring two guests and forcing a mass evacuation.
The 40-year-old man died after the chopper ploughed into the roof of the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cairns, Far North Queensland, at 1.50am on Monday.
Nearly 400 hotel guests were evacuated while an elderly couple were rushed to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
The man is believed to have once been an employee of Nautilus Aviation – a private charter company which operates from seven bases across Northern , including Cairns, The n reported.
It is unclear whether the man was a current or former employee.
The Nautilus helicopter, a Robinson 44, was taken from the general aviation wing at Cairns Airport and flown to the CBD across the city’s Esplanade – a no-fly zone.
It was in the air for just four minutes, with witnesses claiming the helicopter was flying at a high speed and low to the ground, before it crashed into the hotel.
The revelation comes as an aviation expert revealed how the man may have been able to gain access to the aircraft in the first place.
Nautilus Aviation chief executive Aaron Finn confirmed the helicopter was ‘stolen’ and that the flight was unauthorised and unplanned.
Mr Finn added that his company’s pilots were all safe and accounted for, however, he could not rule out the possibility 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.
Head of Aviation at CQUniversity Doug Drury said the man might have accessed the helicopter hangar by using a code or by climbing over the fence.
Mr Drury explained most aviation companies use keypads with codes to block access to their aircraft and the airside section of the airport.
‘I’ve used them in airports all over the world but it’s a common code and if you’ve ever worked at this location, then you would know where to go and how to get in,’ Mr Drury told the ABC.
‘They do change the codes and I imagine every facility at Cairns Airport now has a new code in their door and in their gate locks.
‘They’ll go through footage from all the security cameras to see how this person got in and how they were able to start the aircraft.’
Mr Drury said the helicopter crash would force national and international airports to reassess airside access and security.
Police confirmed the pilot was the sole occupant of the helicopter and was declared dead at the scene.
An investigation is underway to formally identify the man and to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The n Transport Safety Bureau has also launched an investigation, which will focus on the sequence of events that led to the crash.
Cairns Airport general manager Richard Barker also confirmed they were assisting authorities with the investigations.
The crash caused a massive fire on the roof of the hotel and a mass evacuation of up to 400 guests and staff.
The crowd was moved to a safe area as emergency services secured the site over fears the crash would cause an explosion.
Queensland Police declared a Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) and an exclusion zone was enacted encompassing the Esplanade, Minnie Street, Aplin Street and Grafton Street.
Debris from the helicopter was found up to 80 metres from where it crashed, with two of its rotor blades dislodging.
One of the blades was found in the hotel pool, located on the bottom floor, while the second landed on the Cairns Esplanade opposite the hotel.
Queensland Ambulance Service Far Northern Region senior operations supervisor Caitlin Dennings said residents described hearing a crash that sounded like a bomb.
Veronica, who witnessed the crash, told 2GB they watched the 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.
Terrifying footage captured by a tourist showed the roof engulfed by massive red and orange flames.
Huge clouds of black smoked billowed out from the top of the hotel as the blaze raged.
‘The whole building is on fire,’ one woman was heard saying as flames were seen inside the bottom floor of the hotel.
‘Did you see it? The helicopter… it’s just crazy. I was just walking along there… I saw it going down,’ she continued.
An 83-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman were taken to Cairns Hospital in a stable condition after they were assessed by paramedics.
Investigations into the crash continue.