Stolen helicopter crashes into hotel roof in Australia's Cairns

Mangled pieces of the helicopter's propeller landed in the hotel's pool, an emergency services official said. (Photo/AFP)

A stolen helicopter crashed into the top of a Hilton hotel in northeastern Australia, killing the pilot and igniting a fiery explosion on the building's roof.

According to the owners, the helicopter was stolen before the pilot’s "unauthorised flight,” ABC News reported.

The pilot was alone during the flight and has yet to be identified.

Nautilus Aviation, which owns the chopper, has confirmed that its pilots were not involved in the incident.

Hundreds of patrons were evacuated from the DoubleTree by Hilton in the tropical tourist hub of Cairns after the twin-engine helicopter crashed around 1:50 am local time.

Mangled pieces of the helicopter's propeller landed in the hotel's 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 chopper and it was flying super low, with no clearance lights on," she told AFP.

"It was flying so erratically.

"There was this huge explosion because it had crashed into the building. It was a big bang."

Two people who were staying in a room close to where the aircraft crashed were hospitalised for smoke inhalation.

'Madness, man'

Images showed a bright plume of fire blazing on the hotel's roof.

"They just flew in to that building," a female voice says in a video shared on social media that captured the aftermath.

"Madness, man," she adds as sirens blare in the background.

"Shivers. People were living in that. It smashed right in."

Queensland Ambulance supervisor Caitlin Denning said the aircraft's propellers had "dislodged".

"One landed on the Cairns Esplanade and there was a second propeller located in the hotel pool on the bottom floor and it was on fire," she told local media.

"There were reports of it sounding like a bomb, and seeing the fire and smoke, a lot of the occupants of the hotel were unsure of the situation."

The roof fire was extinguished later in the morning.

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

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

The safety bureau appealed for witnesses to come forward if they had "photos or video footage of the aircraft at any phase of the flight" or if they "heard the helicopter prior to impact".

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Source: TRT