23-Year-Old Pilot Crashed Helicopter into Hilton Hotel While Heavily Intoxicated
An investigation into a horrific crash above a Hilton hotel in an Australian tourist hotspot has determined that the pilot was heavily intoxicated at the time.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s investigation revealed that Blake Wilson, 23, tragically crashed a helicopter into the roof of a Hilton hotel in far north Queensland while under the influence of alcohol.
Before starting a new job with Nautilus Aviation, Wilson had been celebrating his farewell party in Cairns, where he consumed alcohol at various venues.
After returning home at 11 p.m., Wilson drove to Cairns Airport, accessed a Robinson R44 helicopter, and departed around 1:30 a.m.
An air traffic controller noticed unusual static but found no scheduled flight plans when checking.
The ill-fated flight, which lasted less than 20 minutes, took Wilson over the city and his apartment before the fatal crash occurred.
Recordings from multiple CCTV cameras captured the helicopter pitching up and crashing onto the roof of the seven-story DoubleTree by Hilton around 2 a.m.
Related Stories
Wilson, although qualified to pilot commercial flights in Australia and New Zealand, was not permitted to fly for Nautilus Aviation as he had been hired as ground staff.
The Chief Commissioner at the Australian Transport Bureau Safety, Angus Mitchell, stated that Wilson flew an unauthorized and unnecessary night flight while intoxicated, with no drugs detected in his system.
Mitchell added that Wilson did not have the required endorsements for night flying, lacked experience flying the R44 at night, and flew well below the minimum altitude of 1,000 feet over built-up areas.
After crashing, parts of the helicopter were found in hotel rooms, with more debris scattered on the street below, leading to a fire on the roof and the evacuation of 400 guests, resulting in two treated for smoke inhalation.
Despite Wilson’s significant efforts to conceal his flight, investigators concluded that the incident was solely caused by the pilot’s actions, with no mechanical failure or external factors contributing to the crash.
Cairns, where the crash occurred, is a popular tourist destination approximately 1,393 kilometers north of Brisbane, Queensland’s capital.
