Collision with hotel in Cairns
 

Several media reports of a ‘red helicopter’ colliding with a hotel on the Cairns Esplanade during the night in Far North Queensland.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-...rash/104212296

Heard it was an "unauthorised flight" - maybe stolen from the airport for a joyride.

Odd. Who flies helicopters at 0200 local time around Cairns?

Maybe read my post above ?

Wow. That is shocking. What’s strange too is it’s almost 6 years to the day since a similar mishap occurred in the USA involving a Dash-8 in the Pacific Northwest.

There was always an uncomfortable amount of online hero-worship of that guy, and I saw a lot of that this past weekend.

Sure hope this wasn’t a copycat type deal…

Discussion also here.

We will let both Threads run for now as there are significant issues for both Rotorheads and Dunnunda residents.

Nothing on FR24... What type was it?

Red helicopter was the report. Bell 505, right? Kamikaze job. No reason for a helicopter to flying there at night unless you are QG Air and it wasn't that. Would have to be a pilot if it was nicked from the airport as a non-pilot wouldn't get it off the ground let alone all the way into town.

Was R44

Stolen by a possible pilot, possibly drunk, possibly an ex-employee. Or possibly Suicide by Helicopter?

Lot's of Possibilities as it has only just happened really. The ATSB will terminate any investigation if it was stolen and leave the investigation to the QPS no doubt.

I would say they must have been some sort of pilot to be able to start, take off, fly from Cairns airport down to the waterfront all in the dark.

It's an R44, 3AW here in Melbourne reporting stolen.

Nah. If it was a pilot who holds or has held a CASA medical then they'd investigate it.

Eye witness report it might have been nicked from the pier next to the hotel where it crashed. I didn't know they parked helicopters there overnight.

check the times of posting.. I was one minute behind you bro. Never saw your post…

Negative.

The webtrak playback had it departing from the CNS Pads before it conducted half dozen orbits around the metro area, then went out over water for a period, then coming back and colliding with the building.

The playback was removed around 6am.

Agreed Ned, someone with no helo experience would barely get off the ground.

IIRC it was the new owner at the controls. The instructor said to go sit in it and get familiar and he would be out in a minute. Perhaps took that too literally.

edit: sorry was referring to Megan’s post above.

Sounds like lack of situational awareness by the pilot

joe bloggs - What does IIRC mean? Does this story come from "the instructor"
Can't imagine a flight lesson at 2:00 am
The cryptic "unauthorized flight" sounds like a description of a student owner taking his or her own
helicopter on a spur of the moment on what they knew was a one way flight.