In the early hours of Monday morning, a helicopter crashed onto the roof of a hotel in Cairns, Australia.
The crash occurred in the city’s popular waterfront area and was reportedly the result of an unauthorized flight.
Hotel guests described hearing a "huge, deafening bang" that sounded like an explosion.
The impact caused two rotor blades to detach, with one landing in the hotel pool and the other on the street, according to Australian broadcaster ABC.
A fire broke out on the hotel grounds, leading police to evacuate around 400 guests.
Two people sustained minor injuries, but the pilot was killed in the crash.
The investigation revealed that the pilot, who was reportedly alone in the helicopter, had flown without permission in a designated no-fly zone.
The deceased was a ground staff member of Nautilus Aviation, a luxury charter company.
The company released a statement on Tuesday, explaining that the man had celebrated his departure with colleagues the night before, as he was about to start a new position within the company.
Later that night, he allegedly entered the helicopter hangar without authorization and took one of the helicopters for an illicit flight.
The pilot held a New Zealand helicopter license but had never flown in Australia before.
The hotel where the crash occurred is located on the Esplanade, a popular promenade in Cairns, Queensland, which is a no-fly zone.
Cairns is known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and is a major tourist destination with a population of around 160,000.
