A helicopter crash on an Australian hotel in Cairns in August, which resulted in the pilot's death, was linked to alcohol and flight inexperience, an investigation has revealed. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's report highlighted that Blake Wilson, a 23-year-old New Zealand citizen, was neither authorized for the four-minute flight nor qualified to pilot at night. The helicopter incident caused 400 evacuations and briefly hospitalized two guests for smoke inhalation.
Employed by Nautilus Aviation as a ground handler since April, Wilson owned licenses from both Australia and New Zealand but lacked necessary nighttime flying qualifications. He allegedly spent the night before the planned relocation drinking with friends and colleagues. The toxicology report indicated a "significant blood-alcohol content" in Wilson, surmising alcohol influence played a role in the crash's tragic outcome, the bureau says.
Wilson maneuvered the aircraft over populated areas and pitched the helicopter noticeably during its short journey, contravening regulations that mandate staying over 1,000 feet above built-up areas. The pilot had disengaged the helicopter's strobe lights, resulting in invisibility to air traffic control, an act described by Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell as "significant measures to conceal the nature of the flight." Wilson's motivation is not clear. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
