Helicopter crash into Cairns hotel 12/08/2024

[red750]

The company that owns the helicopter that crashed into a Cairns hotel early on Monday killing the pilot, the only occupant, and sparking the evacuation of 400 guests, says the flight was "unauthorised" and the chopper was taken from a hangar at Cairns Airport.

 

The helicopter, a Robinson R44, was stolen by a member of the ground crew at Nautilas Aviation after having farewell drinks with a colleague before leaving for a promotion to a position in Torres Strait. He did not hold an Australian helicopter licence, but had held a New Zealand commercial helicopter licence.

[pmccarthy]

But did he have an ASIC?

[red750]

As he was, or had been an employee of Nautilas Aviation ground crew, one would assume he did.

[red750]

Cairns helicopter crash: Blake Wilson identified as pilot behind the flight that crashed | Daily Mail Online

WWW.DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

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The helicopter pilot who crashed a stolen aircraft into a waterfront hotel in Cairns was a young Kiwi who had only recently moved to Australia to begin a 'new adventure'.

 

[Red]

Fortunate that he didnt take any innocent people out with him, but his family now have to suffer the loss.

 

[pmccarthy]

Assuming this is alcohol related. I was a teenager learning how to handle alcohol ( and often not) when I was also learning to fly. But I cannot conceive of thinking it would be ok to go flying when pissed. Even in my worst moments.

[johnm]

yes - its hard to reconcile all the things we think we know

 

NZ pilot - not an Oz pilot - worked for Company - got promotion - on the turps ? - stole - went flying at night 

[johnm]

sone nz background

 

https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/31899/blake-wilson-named-cairns-helicopter?page=1&scrollTo=322937

[red750]

More details of the timeline.

 

Cairns helicopter crash: The major unanswered questions about the helicopter tragedy - as astonishing timeline reveals how incident unfolded | Daily Mail Online

WWW.DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

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New Zealander Blake Wilson was the pilot on board a Robinson 44 helicopter which smashed into the roof the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cairns

 

[danny_galaga]

4 hours ago, pmccarthy said:

Assuming this is alcohol related. I was a teenager learning how to handle alcohol ( and often not) when I was also learning to fly. But I cannot conceive of thinking it would be ok to go flying when pissed. Even in my worst moments.

People are more entitled now.

[jackc]

1 hour ago, danny_galaga said:

People are more entitled now.

Never bothered with it, too much grief suffering my Alcoholic Father……

[onetrack]

Looks to me like, "Well, if they won't let me fly in Oz with my NZ licence, I'll show 'em!"

 

Something similar to the lines of the old American saying, "Hey guys! Hold my beer, and watch this!!"

[danny_galaga]

17 hours ago, onetrack said:

Looks to me like, "Well, if they won't let me fly in Oz with my NZ licence, I'll show 'em!"

 

Something similar to the lines of the old American saying, "Hey guys! Hold my beer, and watch this!!"

Yep, he paid the ultimate price for his entitlement. Luckily no one else did as well...

[red750]

How is this likely to affect the ASIC

[jackc]

Well, the regulators are gonna have a field day with this 🤢 control locks on all aircraft, they will need to be signed in and out, sighted operators authority to access aircraft, including licences and endorsements. Flight plan signed off authorised.

You will all be wishing for AUF days……..

[skippydiesel]

So often the response is a knee jerk overreaction.

 

The vested interests (politicians/security organisations/etc) are likely to will blow it up, to be somehow showing our vulnerability to a  Sept 11 event.

 

The reality this is a very rare event - an idiot steels an aircraft once in "a blue moon". 

 

This is a spontaneous , probably alcohol fueled stupid decision by a young male,  nothing like the detailed, extended planning and considered terrorist attack on the Twin Towers/USA

[dlegg]

Can only be described as youthful drunken foolishness turning into a darwin award. Fortunately no other fatalities. 

[Thruster88]

5 hours ago, red750 said:

How is this likely to affect the ASIC

He would have had one, he worked for the company as a ground operater.

[onetrack]

Quote

The reality this is a very rare event - an idiot steels an aircraft once in "a blue moon"

Actually, not quite as rare as you would have everyone believe. I know of several stolen aircraft events, just in W.A. alone. Nearly all of them ended in disastrous crashes.

 

A new Cessna 175C stolen from Maylands aerodrome July 1962. Crash landed in sand dunes S of Ethel Creek Station in Northern W.A. Pilot survived.

A Cessna 310R (VH-UQR) stolen from Kalgoorlie Aerodrome in Oct 1988, crashed in thick forest near Busselton W.A. after running out of fuel, and both pilot and passenger did not survive.

A Cessna 337 (VH-MRZ) stolen from Kalgoorlie for the thiefs planned flight to Esperance W.A., made an emergency landing on a road East of Lake King W.A., after encountering engine problems. The thief managed to con locals into helping him to restart it, he took off again and crashed shortly afterwards in scrubland. He survived, and was charged and jailed.

There was another aircraft stolen from Kalgoorlie Aerodrome in the 1990's I STR. Can't find the details right now. That aircraft was stolen by an individual with no flying training or skills, and crashed shortly after takeoff. The thief did not survive.

A Jab stolen in 2013 from Northam airfield was found abandoned and relatively undamaged in a farm paddock containing a crop of canola near York. I cannot find any information on whether anyone was caught or charged over this incident.

There may be more stolen aircraft incidents in W.A. that I'm not aware of.

 

[Thruster88]

There was also VH-ENA a Beech 58 stolen 5.1.77 at Wyndham. A sad event. 

[onetrack]

Yes, I forgot about that one. Another one that even a current ASIC card wouldn't have stopped.

[skippydiesel]

Onetrack

 

Considering the number of vehicles stolen, robberies etc  (not getting int  assaults) and allowing for the likelihood that your list of stolen aircraft is a small sample, you are talking about 6 aircraft stolen over 51 years. In the scheme of things, to me, thats a rare /infrequent (call it what you will) occurrence.

[facthunter]

It's not really worth arguing this one out. Your rate of survival in the case of a plane  is low. With a helicopter at night it's miniscule. Any fool can drive a car and you can stop without falling  fatally fast . and there's lot's of cars compared to planes.  Nev