Widow 'pleased' CASA failed to have case dropped over Chris 'Willow' Wilson's helicopter crash death
Mr Wilson was harvesting crocodile eggs in a 'human sling' under a helicopter in a remote area of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory in February 2022 when it crashed.
The father of two, who stared in Croc Territory, died at the scene, while the pilot was severely injured.
A 'no blame' investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the crash was likely caused by fuel exhaustion, which made the engine cut out.
According to the report, during the crash the pilot released the 34-year-old "above a likely‑survivable height", fatally injuring him.
Danielle Wilson is suing the CASA over her husband's death alongside his co-star, celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright, and his company Helibrook, the operator of the helicopter.
At an interlocutory hearing in the Federal Court, CASA attempted to have the case against them struck out by arguing the regulator should not be held responsible for the death when the helicopter operator failed to comply with safety conditions.
Counsel for CASA, Rusell McIllwaine SC, told the court while CASA allowed Helibrook to collect crocodile eggs using a helicopter and sling, it set a height limit of five metres.
"Helibrook failed to comply with that requirement or condition imposed by CASA," he said.
Mr McIllwaine told the court that Ms Wilson's case against Helibrook "was that the reason Mr Wilson died was because he was released by the pilot at a height above five metres".
"Their case is that Helibrook did precisely what CASA said they couldn't do," he said.
Mr McIllwaine told the court this created "logical inconsistencies" in the case involving multiple respondents because if Ms Wilson was alleging Helibrook's actions caused her husband's death, they were in breach of the conditions set out by the regulator.
"CASA can't take reasonable precautions; they can just impose the conditions," he said, arguing the case against CASA should be dropped as it did not have a reasonable prospect of success.
Ms Wilson's legal representative David Lloyd SC told the court their primary case was that "Mr Wilson should never have been in the air' because CASA "should never have approved the activities of that kind".
He said their case was based on alleged failure of CASA to conduct proper surveillance or oversight over Helibrook.
"You don't just approve things for highly risky activities and leave it there," he said.
Justice Elizabeth Raper did not accept CASA's claims, dismissed the regulator's application to have the case dropped and ordered them to pay Ms Wilson's costs for the interlocutory hearing.
Speaking outside court, Ms Wilson told reporters she was "pleased we heard in court today that we do have an arguable case against CASA".
The case continues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Missing one-year old Hariet Kamlade was last seen near Orange in central NSW
A desperate search is underway to locate a one-year-old girl who is missing from her home in a small regional town and may be with a man and woman known to her. Hariet Kamlade was last seen on Ridell St in Molong, about 35km northwest of Orange in Central NSW about 5pm on Tuesday, NSW Police said. Police have serious concerns for Harriet's welfare due to her young age and a health condition that requires regular medication. Harriet was last seen wearing a pink top, blue and grey pants and white shoes. She is described as caucasian, about 70cm tall with a thin build, blonde hair and blue eyes. Police have been told Harriet may in the company of a man and woman both related to her. A police spokesman said the man is aged in his 60s, caucasian, about 175cm tall, of a medium build, with short grey hair and brown eyes. 'The woman is described as being aged in her 30s, of caucasian appearance, about 170cm tall, of a thin build, with black hair and brown eyes,' a NSW Police spokesman said. 'As part of ongoing inquiries, police believe the toddler travelled to the Dubbo area with the man and woman and may still be in that area.'
The Australian
4 hours ago
- The Australian
Nearly half of Aussie internet users smashed by scammers last year
Nearly half of Australian internet users fell victim to cybercrime last year, according to a new report, with only a quarter of respondents admitting they regularly updated their passwords. The Cybercrime in Australia: 2024 report, released by the Australian Institute of Criminology, found that 47 per cent of respondents experienced cybercrime over the last 12 months. Online abuse and harassment was the most common type of cybercrime, sitting at 26.8 per cent. This was followed by identity crime and misuse (21.9 per cent), malware (20.6 per cent), and fraud and scams (9.5 per cent). A quarter of respondents also reported experiencing a data breach. Nearly half of Australian internet users fell victim to cybercrime last year. Picture: Supplied. The report found only about a quarter of Aussies were regularly updating their passwords, including emails, banking, online stores and social media. About the same amount of people used a secure password manager, while more than 50 per cent of respondents reported using a different password for online secure accounts like banking. 'Many respondents are not taking simple but important steps to improve their online safety,' the report stated. Some of the most common passwords used at work include 'password', '123456', 'qwerty' and 'boobies', according to NordVPN. Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Tony Burke said the research would help ensure the government's response to cybercrime was 'evidence-based, targeted, and effective'. 'Remember these three simple steps to stay safe online – always install the latest software updates, use unique passphrases, and enable multi-factor authentication wherever it's available,' Mr Burke said. The reminder follows the federal government's 'Act Now. Stay Secure' campaign, which aims to arm Aussies with online safety strategies. Tony Burke reminded Aussies to stay safe online. Picture: NewsWire / Gary Ramage The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in May claimed that cybercriminals viewed Australia as 'lucrative and underprepared', citing a conversation between a hacker and ABC's John Lyons in a 2023 Four Corners episode. 'Australians are the most stupidest humans alive … and they have a lot of money for no reason, a lot of money and no sense at all,' the hacker reportedly said over the encrypted app Telegram. The hacker claimed he was part of REvil, a Russian cybercrime gang, and alleged REvil were involved in the hack. 'While offensive, the comment points to a broader perception among cybercriminals: Australia is lucrative and underprepared,' the ASPI article read. Online abuse and harassment was the most common type of cybercrime. Picture: Supplied. The Australian Information Commissioner (AIC) has launched civil proceedings in the Federal Court against Medibank over the 2022 hack. The AIC alleged Medibank 'seriously interfered with the privacy of 9.7 million Australians' by failing to take reasonable steps to protect its information. The civil case is before the Federal Court of Australia. A case management hearing is set for November 21. Clareese Packer Reporter Clareese is a Court Reporter at NewsWire. She previously covered breaking news for the outlet after completing the 2023 NewsCorp cadet program, where she worked at The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, the National News Network and NewsWire. Clareese Packer
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Nearly half of Aussie internet users smashed by scammers last year
Nearly half of Australian internet users fell victim to cybercrime last year, according to a new report, with only a quarter of respondents admitting they regularly updated their passwords. The Cybercrime in Australia: 2024 report, released by the Australian Institute of Criminology, found that 47 per cent of respondents experienced cybercrime over the last 12 months. Online abuse and harassment was the most common type of cybercrime, sitting at 26.8 per cent. This was followed by identity crime and misuse (21.9 per cent), malware (20.6 per cent), and fraud and scams (9.5 per cent). A quarter of respondents also reported experiencing a data breach. The report found only about a quarter of Aussies were regularly updating their passwords, including emails, banking, online stores and social media. About the same amount of people used a secure password manager, while more than 50 per cent of respondents reported using a different password for online secure accounts like banking. 'Many respondents are not taking simple but important steps to improve their online safety,' the report stated. Some of the most common passwords used at work include 'password', '123456', 'qwerty' and 'boobies', according to NordVPN. Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Tony Burke said the research would help ensure the government's response to cybercrime was 'evidence-based, targeted, and effective'. 'Remember these three simple steps to stay safe online – always install the latest software updates, use unique passphrases, and enable multi-factor authentication wherever it's available,' Mr Burke said. The reminder follows the federal government's 'Act Now. Stay Secure' campaign, which aims to arm Aussies with online safety strategies. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in May claimed that cybercriminals viewed Australia as 'lucrative and underprepared', citing a conversation between a hacker and ABC's John Lyons in a 2023 Four Corners episode. 'Australians are the most stupidest humans alive … and they have a lot of money for no reason, a lot of money and no sense at all,' the hacker reportedly said over the encrypted app Telegram. The hacker claimed he was part of REvil, a Russian cybercrime gang, and alleged REvil were involved in the hack. 'While offensive, the comment points to a broader perception among cybercriminals: Australia is lucrative and underprepared,' the ASPI article read. The Australian Information Commissioner (AIC) has launched civil proceedings in the Federal Court against Medibank over the 2022 hack. The AIC alleged Medibank 'seriously interfered with the privacy of 9.7 million Australians' by failing to take reasonable steps to protect its information.
