The Squiz 

Authorities in Far North Queensland are working to figure out what led up to a helicopter crashing into a luxury hotel in Cairns early yesterday morning, killing its pilot. Nautilus Aviation – the charter company that owns the chopper – said it was an “unauthorised” flight, and they’re “working closely” with police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) in their investigations.

So what do we know?

Details are scarce, including the pilot’s identity – which forensic teams are still trying to work out. What we do know is that the 4-person tourist chopper was “moved from a general aviation hangar” at Cairns Airport early on Monday morning, before being flown along Cairns Esplanade – which is part of the CBD’s no-flight zone – and crashing into the roof of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel just before 2am. That led to a fire breaking out and 400 hotel guests being evacuated, but none of them were injured in the fracas… Reports suggest the chopper was stolen, but police haven’t confirmed that as yet. They also haven’t said what speed it was travelling, but eyewitnesses say it was “it was going so fast” before they heard “a colossal ear-deafening bang”.

What now?

There are plenty of questions… Including whether it was deliberate or not, but Queensland Police’s Acting Chief Superintendent Shane Holmes said that’s “unknown at this stage”. What he did say yesterday was that “there is no further threat to the community, and we believe this is an isolated incident”. CQ University’s aviation expert Professor Doug Drury says having a chopper crash in central Cairns was “very, very unusual” and it’s possible there was a mechanical failure, but “if the aircraft was trying to make it back to land, and the aircraft sounded sick … it still should not have landed on top of the building”. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell says they’ll be looking to uncover some of those answers in a preliminary report – which could be released “as early as a couple of weeks’ time”. Until then…