Crashed into hotel

After party: pilot steals helicopter and crashes

A helicopter crashed into a hotel on the waterfront in the northern Australian city of Cairns on Monday night. The pilot was killed and parts of the hotel went up in flames.

The man was a member of the ground crew and "entered the helicopter hangar without permission and stole one of our helicopters", the company explained.

Tragic end to a celebration
Several hours before the crash, he had been celebrating a farewell party with colleagues because he was due to take up a new position within the company. The pilot involved in the accident was licensed to fly helicopters in New Zealand, but had never flown in Australia.

On Monday, hundreds of guests at the Hilton chain's DoubleTree hotel in the popular tourist city of Cairns were evacuated to safety after the helicopter crashed into the roof, causing an explosion.

The pilot was killed in the accident and two hotel guests had to be treated for minor injuries. Fragments of the helicopter propellers landed in the hotel pool after the accident.

The Australian Transport Safety Authority sent a team of experts to the scene of the accident. Cairns in northwest Australia is a popular destination for travelers as a starting point for the famous Great Barrier Reef.