More details are emerging about a New Zealand pilot who died in a Cairns helicopter crash, with local authorities probing the moments leading up to the fatal incident.
The helicopter left on an “unauthorised” flight from Nautilus Aviation’s hangar at Cairns airport early on Monday morning, crashing into a hotel roof about 2am (local time).
Local police identified the pilot as Blake Wilson, who resided in the Queensland city. The 23-year-old previously lived in New Zealand.
Authorities are now investigating the moments leading up to the incident. (Source: 1News)
Nautilus Aviation said he had a New Zealand pilot’s licence but had never flown in Australia and was not authorised to use one of its helicopters.
His next-of-kin had been notified, a spokesperson for the New Zealand Police said.
Wilson completed an aviation diploma with Christchurch Helicopters in 2022.
Staff told 1News he was “well-liked” during training, including by fellow classmates.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time,” a Christchurch Helicopters spokesperson said.
Speaking to RNZ, Palmerston North Boys’ High School rector David Bovey confirmed Wilson was a former student, who finished studying there in 2018.
“He was academically pretty good, I think he got all levels of NCEA with a merit endorsement, but he was a friendly, personable young man,” he said.
“It’ll hit the staff because … I mean, it’s not that long ago that Blake was here, they’ll know Blake, and they’ll be feeling it.”
Bovey said it was “terribly sad when somebody this age dies and in such a tragic accident.”
Wilson – the sole occupant – died after the helicopter struck the roof of DoubleTree by Hilton in Cairns’ CBD, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of guests. Before the flight, he had been given a farewell party by fellow Nautilus employees on Sunday night.
“We can confirm this event did occur and was a privately organised send-off for the individual involved in Monday morning’s incident, who was recently promoted to a ground-crew position at another one of our bases,” a company statement said.
‘Miraculous’ nobody died, 400 evacuated in incident
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said yesterday the crash could have been deadlier given the rotor blades of the helicopter smacked into the hotel rooms, one of which had an elderly couple asleep inside.
“It’s miraculous … It certainly could have been a lot worse,” he told ABC Radio.
“It’s not only the enormous forces of the impact damage, but then the post-impact fire that followed as well.”
The two hotel guests, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s, were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
The hotel was nearly full, with almost 400 guests evacuated, and many people were still walking around Cairns at 1am (Queensland time), which heightened the risk of a more dangerous incident, Mitchell said.
Crash investigators were probing the sequence of events, with information so far indicating the four-seater chopper was airborne for only five minutes before the crash.
Propellers were dislodged when the helicopter hit the roof with one landing on the street outside and the other in the hotel pool while still on fire.
Queensland premier Steven Miles said it was too early to tell whether security arrangements needed to be reviewed after the “unauthorised” flight, the ABC reports.
“Cairns Airport may well consider to look at their specific arrangements, but I think it’s probably too early to tell,” he said.
— additional reporting by AAP
