Helicopter crashes into hotel roof in northeast Australia

SYDNEY - A helicopter crashed into the top of a Hilton hotel in northeastern Australia on Monday, killing the pilot and igniting a fiery explosion on the building's roof.

Hundreds of patrons were evacuated from the DoubleTree by Hilton in the tropical tourist hub of Cairns after the twin-engine helicopter crashed around 1:50am local time.

Mangled pieces of the helicopter's propeller landed in the hotel's pool, an emergency services official said.

Witness Amanda Kay said her assistance dog woke her up before the crash, which she watched from her balcony nearby.

"There was a light chopper and it was flying super low, with no clearance lights on," she told AFP.

"It was flying so erratically.

"There was this huge explosion because it had crashed into the building. It was a big bang."

Police said the pilot, who was the sole passenger in the helicopter, died at the scene.

Two people who were staying in a room close to where the aircraft crashed were hospitalised for smoke inhalation.

Images showed a bright plume of fire blazing on the hotel's roof.

Queensland Ambulance supervisor Caitlin Denning said the aircraft's propellers had "dislodged".

"One landed on the Cairns Esplanade and there was a second propeller located in the hotel pool on the bottom floor and it was on fire," she told local media.

"There were reports of it sounding like a bomb, and seeing the fire and smoke, a lot of the occupants of the hotel were unsure of the situation."

The roof fire was extinguished later in the morning.

Cairns is a popular tourist hub that offers a gateway to Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef.