A pilot who later crashed his helicopter into a luxury hotel in Cairns was previously celebrating a promotion.

According to sources, the unfortunate helicopter crash at a hotel in Cairns involved a pilot who was celebrating a recent career advancement with some friends on the same night. The helicopter, a Robinson R44 owned by Nautilus Aviation, crashed into the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel at the intersection of The Esplanade and Florence Street around 2am yesterday.

Tragically, the pilot, Blake Wilson, lost his life in the crash while guests at the hotel were being evacuated. It was later revealed that Wilson had just been promoted and was enjoying some celebratory drinks with colleagues before the fatal incident occurred. Nautilus Aviation's chief executive, Aaron Finn, confirmed that Wilson had recently been promoted to a ground crew position at another one of their bases. He clarified that the crash was not work-related and was instead a private event organized by Wilson's friends.

It was reported that Wilson's friends were some of the last to see him alive. One person claimed that he had been intoxicated and was put to bed, but he later left his room and went to the airport, gaining unauthorized access to the helicopter and taking off on a flight that lasted only four minutes before the crash occurred.

Authorities are now focusing on investigating the four minutes of flight and how Wilson was able to gain access to the helicopter. Australian Transport Safety Bureau's chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, stated that they are particularly interested in understanding the sequence of events that led to the crash. It was also revealed that Wilson was a licensed pilot in New Zealand but was not accredited in Australia.

In the aftermath of the accident, the helicopter was lowered into an industrial bin by a large crane while the ATSB conducted interviews with staff and management at Nautilus Aviation's head office in Cairns. The company has expressed their full cooperation with the investigations and offered their heartfelt condolences to Wilson's family and all those affected by the tragedy. They also stated that they are providing support to their employees during this difficult time.

As investigations continue, the public is left to mourn the loss of a promising pilot and the devastating impact of the crash on all those involved.

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