Nautilus said in a statement to the BBC that the individual had recently been promoted to a “ground crew position” at another of the company's bases.
On Sunday night, he attended a private farewell party with colleagues, including pilots who had completed their tours of duty. Nautilus clarified that this was “not a work event and was arranged by friends.”
Nautilus added that the man later “gained unauthorized access to our helicopter hangar.”
The helicopter struck the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in the northern Queensland city of Cairns at about 1.50am local time on Monday (4.50pm BST on Sunday), starting a fire and forcing the evacuation of about 400 guests.
Authorities said the only person on board the helicopter died at the scene of the crash, while two hotel guests – a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s – were taken to hospital in stable condition.
Amanda Kay, who was staying at a hotel on Cairns' Main Esplanade, described seeing the helicopter flying “very low” with no lights in the rain.
“(The plane) turned around and crashed into the building,” she said, adding that the aircraft “exploded.”
Another onlooker said he saw the helicopter fly over the hotel twice just before the crash.
“Man, that helicopter was going really fast. I can't believe it,” a woman said in footage showing the fiery aftermath of the crash.
“It just got out of control.”
According to Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS), two rotor blades from the helicopter broke off in the crash and landed on the boardwalk and in the hotel pool.
Nautilus Airlines said in a statement that it had completed interviews with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and Queensland Police Service (QPS) and was cooperating to provide transparency into the circumstances leading up to the incident.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the families and everyone affected by this tragedy, and we will continue to provide support to our employees during this very difficult time,” the statement said.
“We will continue to work very closely with QPS and the ATSB as they investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Cairns, located in northern Queensland, is a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef.
