Pilot, 23, Was ‘Heavily Intoxicated’ When He Crashed Helicopter into Hilton Hotel

An investigation into a horror crash above a Hilton hotel in Australian tourist hotspot has concluded the pilot had been drinking heavily.
Pilot, 23, Was ‘Heavily Intoxicated’ When He Crashed Helicopter into Hilton Hotel
An image from the report on a tragic crash on August 12, 2024 at Cairns. Pilot Blake Wilson died in the crash. Photo: Australian Transport Safety Bureau
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An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation has found that a pilot who died after he crashed a helicopter into the roof of a Hilton hotel in Australia’s far north Queensland was heavily intoxicated at the time.

Safety investigators said Blake Wilson, 23, had been celebrating his farewell party at various venues in the tropical city of Cairns on Aug. 12 before starting a different job with his employer Nautilus Aviation.

Crystal-Rose Jones
Crystal-Rose Jones
Author
Crystal-Rose Jones is a reporter based in Australia. She previously worked at News Corp for 16 years as a senior journalist and editor.
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