Helicopter crashes on hotel roof in northeast Australia

SYDNEY: A helicopter crashed into the top of a Hilton hotel in northeastern Australia on Monday, killing the pilot and setting off a fiery explosion on the roof of the building.

Hundreds of patrons were evacuated from the DoubleTree by Hilton in the tropical tourist center of Cairns after the twin-engine helicopter crashed at around 01:50 local time.

Broken pieces of the helicopter’s propeller landed in the hotel’s swimming pool, an emergency services official said.

Witness Amanda Kay said her assistance dog woke her up before the crash, which she watched from her balcony nearby.

“There was a light helicopter and it was flying very low, no lights on,” he said. AFP.

“He was flying so wildly.”

“There was this huge explosion because it hit the building. It was a big explosion.”

Police said the pilot, who was the sole occupant of the helicopter, died at the scene.

Two people who lived in a room near where the plane crashed were treated for smoke inhalation.

“crazy dude”

Images showed a bright plume of fire burning on the roof of the hotel.

“They just flew into this building,” says a female voice in a video shared on social media that captured the aftermath.

“Crazy, man,” he adds as sirens blare in the background.

“Shivering. People lived in it. It broke right in.”

Queensland Ambulance Superintendent Caitlin Denning said the aircraft’s propellers were “blown out”.

“One landed on the Cairns Esplanade and there was a second propeller that was in the hotel pool downstairs and it was on fire,” he told local media.

“There were reports that it sounded like a bomb, and seeing the fire and smoke, many of the hotel’s occupants were unsure of the situation.”

The fire on the roof was extinguished later in the morning.

Cairns is a popular tourist hub that offers a gateway to Australia’s famous Great Barrier Reef.

Poor visibility

Australian Transport Safety Bureau commissioner Angus Mitchell said flying conditions were difficult at the time of the crash, with poor visibility and possibly rain.

“Our job now is to look at the facts that we can gather over the next couple of days and determine the sequence of events,” he told reporters.

“We want to understand … what the helicopter was doing at the time and the nature of the flight.”

A team of government experts from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been dispatched to the crash site.

The safety office appealed for witnesses to come forward if they had “photos or video of the aircraft at any stage of flight” or if they “heard the helicopter prior to impact”.