Helicopter on unauthorized flight crashes into Australian hotel, killing pilot

Aug. 12 (UPI) -- A helicopter crashed into the roof of a hotel in the northeastern Australian city of Cairns early Monday, according to authorities who said the aircraft's pilot was pronounced dead at the scene.

The helicopter crashed into the hotel building located at the intersection of the Esplanade and Florence Street at 1:54 a.m. local time, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a statement. Photos of the incident published online by Queensland Ambulance show the impacted hotel to be a Double Tree by Hilton.

The pilot -- who was the crash's sole victim and the helicopter's only occupant -- was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a statement from Queensland Police, which said forensic investigators were working to formally identify the body.

A small fire ignited as a result of the crash and the hotel was evacuated as a precaution, both Queensland Police and Queensland Ambulance separately said. No injuries were sustained by people on the ground.

The helicopter was destroyed by the impact and ensuing fire, the ASTSB said.

Queensland Police acting assistant commissioner Shane Holmes told reporters later Monday that the helicopter had been removed from a hangar and that the fatal flight had not been authorized, local SBS reported.

The ASTSB said it was aware of reports describing the flight as unauthorized. It added that a team of three transport safety investigators arrived in Cairns late Monday morning to begin their investigation.

"Over the coming days we will seek to determine if this accident was a transport safety matter," it said.

Authorities have asked members of the public with information, photos of videos of the incident to contact them.