Police have confirmed the pilot of a helicopter that struck a Cairns hotel was killed.

Emergency services were called to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at 1:50am this morning after there were reports of an “aviation incident.”

Police have now confirmed that the sole pilot, was found dead. The Forensic Crash Unit, working alongside the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, will prepare a report for the coroner.

Authorities said up to 400 people were evacuated from the hotel in Cairns after the building caught on fire.

“The building was evacuated as a precaution and there were no injuries sustained by people on the ground,” Queensland police confirmed.

A man in his 80s and lady in her 70s who were staying in a room near the crash suffered smoke inhalation from the fire and were taken to hospital in a stable condition.

Queensland ambulance operations supervisor in Cairns, Caitlin Denning said the noise generated by the impact frightened those nearby.

“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,” she said.

“The helicopter impacted the roof of the hotel, however two propellers have dislodged.”

The helicopter’s propellers were thrown over the building and onto a nearby street and near the hotel’s pool.

A Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) was put in place by officers and an exclusion zone has been made which surrounds the building, with the Esplanade and Minnie, Alpine and Grafton streets all temporarily closed.

Photo: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cairns, Queensland by Kgbo is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons Licence. This image had not been modified.