In a tragic turn of events, a young pilot who stole a helicopter and crashed it into a Cairns hotel had shared his excitement for his “next adventure” just months before the incident.

The crash occurred early Monday morning in Cairns, a popular tourist city near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, leading to chaos and panic as guests were evacuated from the DoubleTree by Hilton.

The helicopter collided with the hotel’s rooftop, causing significant damage and sending plumes of smoke and flames into the air, prompting an urgent evacuation of nearly 400 hotel guests as thick smoke and flames poured from the building.

Fortunately, the only reported injuries were to a couple staying at the hotel, who were treated for smoke inhalation and have since been discharged. Authorities confirmed that no one else was harmed in the crash.

The pilot, who tragically lost his life in the crash, was identified as a member of the Nautilus Aviation ground crew. Although he held a helicopter pilot’s license from New Zealand, he was not authorized to fly in Australia. According to Nautilus Aviation, the man gained unauthorized access to the company’s helicopter hangar and took one of their helicopters without permission.

Just hours before the crash, the pilot had been celebrated at a farewell party thrown by Nautilus Aviation, marking his promotion to a ground crew position at another company base. It was reported that he had been drinking at the party prior to the crash.

Witnesses described a harrowing scene as the helicopter, flying at high speed and notably low to the ground, zipped past the hotel twice before crashing into the rooftop. The Cairns Hilton, situated right on the coast, became the center of an intense emergency response.

In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, Cairns airport officials reassured the public that a review of the incident confirmed there was no compromise of airport security measures. “To reassure our community, we wish to confirm a review has been conducted, showing no compromise of our airport fence or access points,” said Mr. Baker, addressing concerns about the security breach.