Helicopter Pilots Who Hit Hotels In Australia Are Land Crews Who Don't Have A Permit To Fly, After Attending A Party

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Tony Webster)

JAKARTA - The helicopter rental company revealed that the pilot who died in Monday's crash when a helicopter crashed into a hotel in Cairns, Australia on Monday was an employee of a company that did not have a flight permit.

Nautilus Aviation said on Tuesday the pilot had worked at the company for four months. He attended a party the night before the accident to celebrate his promotion to ground crew work with companies on other bases.

"This is not a work event and is coordinated by his friends," the statement said.

In a statement to CNN, DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns said that all guests - 421 adults and 50 children, plus two staff - had been safely evacuated.

Hundreds of guests and staff of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel were evacuated when a helicopter crashed into a building near Cairns Esplanade, a pedestrian area on the coast popular for travelers in Queensland on Monday morning.

The flames soared high into the night sky after the plane caught fire, spilled fuel all over the top of the hotel, damaging several windows to the top of the seven-story building.

Two tourists sleeping on the top floor of the hotel were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Queensland Assistant Commissioner Shane Holmes said on Monday the pilot carried out an "unauthorized flight," but declined to comment on whether the helicopter had been stolen or whether the crash was intentional, saying all lines of investigation remained open.

Meanwhile, Angus Mitchell, head commissioner of the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB), said investigators believed the helicopter had taken off from a public aviation hangar at Cairns Airport, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the hotel.

"We know that the visibility at that time was very bad and the possibility of rain," he said.

"We want to understand helicopter equipment, but it is also possible what helicopters were doing at that time and the type of flight," he continued.

Other investigators carried out included a forensic accident unit and ATSB, who sent a team to the crash site on Monday to collect evidence and conduct interviews.

The bureau asked witnesses who had photos or videos of the helicopter to contact authorities via its website.