Key Points
- Blake Wilson, 23, was piloting the helicopter when it crashed into the roof of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Cairns.
- Wilson was killed in the crash but no hotel guests were seriously injured.
- The investigation into the crash found that Wilson had been socialising and drinking alcohol on the night of the incident.
A pilot who fatally crashed a helicopter on a hotel roof in a popular tourist spot had been affected by alcohol, a report says.
Investigators said on Thursday, Blake Wilson, 23, took the helicopter from a far north Queensland airport hangar for an "unnecessary and unauthorised" flight after a night of drinking.
Wilson died when the Robinson R44 helicopter struck the roof of DoubleTree by Hilton in Cairns CBD at about 2am on 12 August, prompting the evacuation of about 400 guests.
Witness reports confirmed the pilot had been socialising and drinking alcohol with friends at various venues in Cairns before the crash. Source: AAP / Brian Cassey
"There was no airworthiness factor with the helicopter that likely contributed to this accident," Angus Mitchell, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), told reporters.
"The flight was a purposeful act, but there was no evidence available to explain the pilot's intentions."
Witness reports confirmed the pilot had been socialising and drinking alcohol with friends at various venues in Cairns for his farewell party before the crash.
Wilson returned to his apartment at 11pm before driving to his employer Nautilus Aviation's helicopter hangar at about 1am.
CCTV footage showed the helicopter take off after 1.30am, flying for less than 20 minutes before crashing.
Wilson flew the helicopter over the CBD, his apartment building twice and along the marina before heading back towards the city centre.
The flight's last moments, caught on CCTV, showed the helicopter pitching up before immediately descending steeply onto the roof of the hotel.
Parts of the rotor blade were found in hotel rooms, with other debris strewn across the venue's grounds and on the street.
Mitchell said it was fortunate no hotel guests were seriously injured after two elderly visitors were treated for smoke inhalation.
The report found Wilson did not hold the appropriate qualifications to fly the helicopter at night, nor did he have any experience, given he flew at just 500 feet over the CBD instead of the regulated 1,000 feet.
"While it was tragic that the young man lost his life, there was significant risk to others here in the Cairns area which is why we have put resources to find out what we can look at all the available evidence," Mitchell said.
"It is fair to say that this is quite an exceptional set of circumstances for the ATSB to be investigating."
