DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns guests woke to a “colossal” bang this morning as a helicopter crashed into the Cairns City property’s roof, causing widespread damage and the evacuation of hundreds from the crash site in the Tropical North Queensland city.
Queensland Police Service (QPS) has declared a Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA), enacting an exclusion zone around DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns on The Esplanade and surrounding CBD streets, advising the public to avoid the area after the Cairns hotel helicopter crash.
As a precaution, up to 400 people were evacuated with no injuries to those on the ground as emergency services attended the Cairns hotel helicopter crash site around 1:50am on 12 August 2024.
Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) told ABC News that two hotel guests were taken to Cairns Hospital to be treated for shock.
The QAS spokesperson said it was believed there was only one person on board the helicopter at the time of the crash. Brisbane Times has reported that the pilot has died.
According to witnesses, the impact of the Cairns hotel helicopter crash into the roof saw two of the helicopter’s rotor blades come off, landing on the esplanade and in the hotel pool as debris was scattered around the courtyard and flames engulfed the top of the building.
Witnesses also reported the loud noise from the impact of the 4.5-star Cairns hotel helicopter crash “sounding like a bomb”.
Cairns hotel helicopter crash investigation
QPS said police are on the scene investigating the circumstances of the aviation incident with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) also sending an investigation team.
Cairns is the major gateway to Tropical North Queensland tourism experiences, attracting local and international visitors via Cairns Airport.
