An employee at a helicopter company allegedly stole a chopper while drunk and crashed into an Australian hotel, killing him in the process.
Blake Wilson, 23, celebrated his recent promotion at Nautilus Aviation with a lively party on Sunday night in Cairns. He had been working as a ground crew employee for four months before this milestone.
Witnesses reported to the Daily Mail that he became so “intoxicated” that his co-workers had to “put him to bed.”
Wilson, who possessed a pilot’s license in New Zealand but was not authorized to fly in Australia, reportedly stood up and gained unauthorized access to a hangar. Next, he commandeered an R44 Robinson helicopter, according to the company.
Officials reported that he hovered over a no-fly zone above the central business district before crashing onto the roof of the DoubleTree by Hilton just before 2 a.m. on Monday.
Wilson lost his life when the helicopter crashed, shattering the windows of several rooms. A woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s were also hospitalized due to smoke inhalation.
The Rookie Helicopter Pilot’s Hotel Crash Followed a Private Party
Nautilus Aviation CEO Aaron Finn announced that off-duty pilots and other staff gathered on Sunday night for a dinner and drinks to celebrate Wilson’s recent promotion. However, he stressed that the celebration was not endorsed by the company itself.
“This was a privately organized send-off for the individual involved in Monday morning’s incident, who was recently promoted to a ground crew position at another one of our bases,” Finn explained, per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“This was not a work event and had been coordinated by friends,” Finn stressed.
Cairns Airport announced that an initial assessment suggested there had been no compromise to security.
“Our thoughts are with all affected by the distressing incident at Cairns Esplanade,” CEO Richard Barker said via a statement.
“Cairns Airport operates under a federally approved, multi-layered transport security program. To reassure our community, we wish to confirm a review has been conducted, showing no compromise of our airport fence or access points,” he added.
Meanwhile, Christchurch Helicopters, who trained Blake Wilson as a pilot, paid tribute to their student.
“Blake completed his Diploma in Aviation with Christchurch Helicopters in 2022,” Christchurch Helicopters explained in a statement.
They continued, “He was well-liked by the staff and his fellow classmates. He will be missed by the team at Christchurch Helicopters. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”