Helicopter Crashes into Hotel Roof in Northeast Australia

AFP/APP

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

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.”

Police said the pilot, who was the sole passenger in the helicopter, died at the scene. Two people who were staying in a room close to where the aircraft crashed were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.