Helicopter company confirms employee Blake Wilson was responsible for fatal Cairns hotel crash
ROBYN IRONSIDE19 hours ago.
Updated 12 hours ago
The Australian Business Network
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Pilot Killed After Helicopter Crashes Into Cairns Hotel
A Pilot Was Killed After A Helicopter Crashed Into The Roof Of A... See more
The Young Man Killed When The Helicopter He Was Flying Crashed Into A Cairns Hotel, Was A Ground Crew Employee At Nautilus Aviation Who Had Been Celebrating His Promotion Hours Before The Unauthorised Flight.
Blake Wilson, 24, Only Joined Nautilus Four Months Ago After Relocating From Christchurch In New Zealand.
Although He Held A New Zealand Commercial Pilot’s Licence Mr Wilson Had Never Flown In Australia Or For Nautilus, And Was Not Authorised To Fly Their Helicopters.
In A Tragic Twist, Nautilus Confirmed There Had Been A Gathering Of Some Employees On Sunday Night, Including Off-Duty Pilots To “Send-Off The Individual Involved In Monday Morning’s Incident”.
It Was Revealed Mr Wilson Had Recently Been Promoted To A Ground Crew Position At Another Of Nautilus Aviation’s Bases, On Long Island In The Whitsundays.
“This Was Not A Work Event And Was Co-Ordinated By Friends,” Said The Statement.
“We Offer Our Heartfelt Condolences To The Individual’s Family And All Who Have Been Affected By This Tragedy And Continue To Offer Our Support To Our Employees During This Very Challenging Period.”
Blake Wilson Who Died In A Helicopter Crash In Cairns. Picture: Facebook
The Function Attended By Mr Wilson Ended About 11.30pm, And Was Not Held At The DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel Where The Crash Occurred.
The Statement Went On To Say The Company Had Provided His Details To Police, And Had Completed Interviews With The Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
Nautilus Aviation CEO Aaron Finn Said The Young Worker Was A “Great Employee” Who Was Excited About His Future.
“We Are All Devastated,” Mr Finn Added.
The Flight From Cairns Airport Early Monday Morning Was “Unauthorised And Unplanned”, And Ended Just A Few Minutes Later When The R44 Robinson Helicopter Crashed Into The Roof Of The DoubleTree By Hilton.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell Addresses The Media About The Investigation Into A Helicopter Crash In Cairns. Picture: Brendan Radke
A Review By Cairns Airport Of The Area Where The Helicopter Was Taken From Found No Compromise Of Airport Security Processes.
The ATSB confirmed the helicopter had flown for just 4 to 5 minutes prior to impact, with witnesses suggesting the flight appeared “low and erratic”.
Commenting on the bizarre sequence of events, ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said the bureau typically limited its investigations to matters of transport safety.
“This is going to be an interesting one, a little bit different to what we would normally investigate,” he said.
After taking off from Cairns Airport about 1.48am, the chopper flew over the metropolitan area then out to sea before returning and crashing into the hotel.
Cairns Esplanade is a “no-fly zone” and no flight plan was submitted for the early morning outing.
Locals said it was raining at the time and visibility would likely have been poor.
Authorities remained incredulous that no-one else was killed or badly injured in the incident, with police suggesting it could have had a much worse outcome.
An elderly couple, whose room was directly below the point of impact, were released from Cairns base hospital on Monday after undergoing treatment for shock.
Mr Mitchell said flying a helicopter was not something “anyone could do”.
“You do need to have someone that has quite detailed knowledge of the helicopter itself and how to fly it,” Mr Mitchell said.
It was unclear if the ATSB would continue with the investigation, given the circumstances but a decision was not expected until Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for DoubleTree by Hilton said the hotel would remain closed as they ascertained the full extent of damage.
“Due to ongoing investigations and the need for us to ensure that the hotel is completely safe before reopening, we cannot yet provide a definitive reopening date,” she said.
Guests were being accommodated at alternative sites, due to the fact Hilton Cairns was currently running at full occupancy.
“We are actively working on a solution for the coming days,” said the spokeswoman.
