Nautilus Aviation is currently working with Queensland Police, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, and other authorities to investigate the unauthorized use of one of their helicopters in the early hours of the morning. The company has stated that they are fully supportive of the ongoing investigation but will not be making further comments at this time. Hotel guests staying at the Double Tree Hotel in Cairns were awoken by a loud bang and found debris scattered throughout the building. Police have cordoned off an exclusion zone around the hotel as investigations continue.
Hotel guest Alastair Salmon, who was staying on the third floor of the Double Tree Hotel, described waking up to a “colossal ear-deafening bang.” His roommate, Harry Holberton, likened the sound to a bomb going off. Debris, including parts of a windscreen, was found all over the hotel following the impact. Queensland Ambulance senior operations supervisor Caitlin Denning reported that between 300 and 400 people were being evacuated from the hotel as emergency crews arrived at the scene. The helicopter collided with the hotel roof, causing two propellers to dislodge. One propeller landed on the Cairns Esplanade, while the other ended up in the hotel pool on the bottom floor, where it caught fire.
Denning mentioned that the noise generated by the impact was frightening, with many hotel occupants unsure of what was happening. Reports likened the sound to a bomb, further adding to the unease felt by those present during the incident. The investigation into the helicopter crash is being conducted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and Queensland Police’s Forensic Crash Unit. A report will be prepared for the coroner as the investigations continue. Authorities are examining the details surrounding the crash and the circumstances leading up to the unauthorized use of the helicopter.
As the investigation into the unauthorized use of the helicopter and the subsequent crash on the Double Tree Hotel in Cairns continues, Nautilus Aviation is working closely with authorities to understand what happened. The company has pledged its full support for the ongoing investigation but has refrained from making further comments at this time. Hotel guests were shaken awake by the impact, with debris scattered throughout the building. Emergency crews evacuated between 300 and 400 people from the hotel as investigations were carried out following the incident.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and Queensland Police’s Forensic Crash Unit are conducting a thorough investigation into the helicopter crash, with a report to be prepared for the coroner. The helicopter collided with the hotel roof, causing two propellers to dislodge and one to catch fire in the hotel pool. The noise and sight of the impact led to reports likening the incident to a bomb going off, creating an atmosphere of unease among hotel occupants. As investigations progress, more details will emerge surrounding the circumstances of the unauthorized helicopter use and the subsequent crash on the Double Tree Hotel in Cairns.
