A pilot has died after their helicopter crashed into the roof of a resort within the northern Queensland metropolis of Cairns.
The plane hit the DoubleTree by Hilton resort at round 01:50am native time on Monday (16:50B Sunday), sparking a fireplace and forcing the evacuation of lots of of company.
Authorities say the one occupant of the helicopter died on the scene, and two resort company – a person in his 80s and a girl in her 70s – have been taken to hospital in a steady situation.
Queensland Police and the aviation security watchdog are investigating the circumstances of the crash, with the corporate who charters the helicopter saying it was on an “unauthorised” flight.
Amanda Kay, who was staying within the resort on the principle esplanade in Cairns, described seeing a helicopter flying “additional low”, with out lights in wet climate.
“[It] has turned spherical and hit the constructing,” she mentioned, including that the plane “blew up”.
One other bystander mentioned she noticed the helicopter fly previous the resort twice within the moments earlier than the collision.
“Boy that was going quick, that helicopter. Unbelievable,” a girl mentioned, in video displaying the fiery aftermath of the crash.
“It was simply going uncontrolled, that factor was.”
Two of the helicopter’s rotor blades got here off on affect, touchdown on the esplanade and within the resort pool, in accordance with Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS).
“There’s been stories it gave the impression of a bomb, and [that after] seeing smoke and fireplace from that, numerous the occupants of the resort have been very not sure concerning the state of affairs,” spokeswoman Caitlin Dennings instructed media.
One other vacationer staying on the resort, Alastair Salmon, described it to the ABC as “a colossal ear-deafening bang”.
Mr Salmon, from London, was amongst about 400 individuals who have been evacuated from the resort.
He described seeing the helicopter’s rotor blade on the bottom close by, and mistaking it for a lamppost.
“Then we regarded up there and you may see this huge gap within the window of the constructing,” he instructed the ABC.
The Australian Transport Security Bureau mentioned it’s sending investigators to the scene.
In an announcement, Nautilus Aviation mentioned it could work carefully with all authorities in Queensland as they examined the “unauthorised use of one in all our helicopters within the early hours of this morning”.
Streets across the resort have been cordoned off and an emergency state of affairs was declared by police.
Situated in northern Queensland, the town of Cairns is a well-liked vacationer vacation spot attributable to its proximity to the Nice Barrier Reef.