The helicopter pilot who crashed a stolen plane into a waterfront hotel was under the influence of alcohol, an investigation has found.
New Zealander Blake Wilson, 23, was piloting a Robinson 44 helicopter when it crashed into the roof of DoubleTree by Hilton in Cairns, Far North Queensland, at 1.50am on August 12.
The ‘unauthorized’ four-minute journey took off from the Nautilus hangar at Cairns Airport shortly after 1.45am and completed several circuits over the mudflats and over the city’s Esplanade, a no-fly zone.
Witnesses reported seeing the plane flying dangerously low before it crashed into the roof of the hotel and burst into flames.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report released on Thursday morning found Wilson had a “significant blood alcohol level” at the time of the crash.
Daily Mail Australia previously revealed Wilson had a boozy farewell dinner with colleagues at Nautilus Aviation as he was about to take on a tanker role at Horn Island.
“Prior to the accident, on the evening of August 11, the pilot was socializing with friends at various locations in Cairns,” the ATSB report said.
“Witness statements and video recordings indicated that the pilot had been drinking alcohol and that they returned to their apartment around 11 p.m..”
Daily Mail Australia previously revealed that New Zealander Blake Wilson (pictured), 23, was piloting a Robinson 44 helicopter when it crashed into the roof of DoubleTree by Hilton in Cairns, Far North Queensland, at 1.50am on August 12.
The ‘unauthorized’ four-minute journey took off from the Nautilus hangar at Cairns Airport shortly after 1.45am and completed several circuits over the mudflats and over the city’s Esplanade, a no-fly zone (photo: the flight path)
CCTV footage later showed Wilson driving away from his apartment in a company car shortly after 1am.
Twenty minutes later he arrived at the Nautilus Aviation hangar at Cairns Airport, where he used ground wheels to move a Robinson-44 helicopter to the helipad.
A short time later he headed towards Cairns city centre, slightly altering his route to fly over his shared apartment.
He then took a tour of the Cairns wharf complex before returning to his apartment.
The flight altitude never exceeded 500ft.
Remarkably, none of the hotel guests were injured (photo: the damage to one of the rooms on the top floor)
“Two security cameras recorded very brief portions of the final leg of the flight,” the ATSB report said.
‘This shows that the helicopter took off and then almost immediately descended steeply before colliding with the roof of the hotel at around 1.51am.’
There’s more to come.
