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An investigation into a Queensland helicopter crash that killed a Kiwi pilot in August has found he was intoxicated, broke aviation rules and appeared to be trying to evade being detected. But officials are none the wiser as to why he did it. Blake Wilson, 23, died after taking a helicopter from his employer's hangar in Cairns and flying into a no-fly zone over the city before crashing into the roof of the DoubleTree hotel. His employer, Nautilus Aviation, said he had been celebrating his promotion with workmates on Sunday night, before he took the helicopter in the early hours of Monday morning. Wilson, 23, held a New Zealand commercial helicopter licence, but was not authorised to fly in Australia. He was the only person killed in the accident. A report by the Australian Transport Safety...

Oscar Garcia, right, with his family stands outside his house after getting hit by a reported tornado in Fort Myers, Florida, on 9 October 2024, as Hurricane Milton approaches. Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP Hurricane Milton has begun making landfall. The National Hurricane Center is reporting that the most intense winds and eyewall of Hurricane Milton are coming onshore near the Florida city of Tampa. Landfall is not official until at least half of the hurricane's eye crosses over land - likely within the next hour or two, CNN said. Milton's eyewall has winds screaming at nearly 200km/h with higher gusts. Follow RNZ's live updates: Source link

By Luc Cohen for Reuters The voter registration deadline in Florida was on 7 October. (File photo) Photo: AFP Voting rights groups have asked a federal judge to extend Florida's voter registration deadline ahead of the 5 November US presidential election, citing disruptions from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Tallahassee on Tuesday (local time), the League of Women Voters of Florida and the state NAACP chapter said they had asked Governor Ron DeSantis last week to extend the 7 October deadline by 10 days, but he declined. DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Millions of people on Florida's west coast are under evacuation orders as Hurricane Milton lashed the region with rain and wind hours ahead of its expected l...

People take shelter at Buffalo Creek Middle School ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall in Bradenton, Florida. Photo: AFP / Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo Milton is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida on Thursday (NZ time) as a dangerous major hurricane, the second huge storm to hit the US in a fortnight. The storm has exploded in strength as it nears the Tampa region. "It's a matter of life and death, and that's not hyperbole," US President Biden said from the White House, urging those under orders to leave to "evacuate now, now, now". Across the southeastern United States, emergency workers are still struggling to provide relief after Hurricane Helene, which killed at least 230 people across several states. Follow RNZ's live updates: Source link