Bush helicopter pilot to front reality TV star's trial

The Advertiser

4 days ago

A jury in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright is set to hear from a bush pilot who was first at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson.
Wright is being tried in the Supreme Court in Darwin on three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the February 2022 crash in a remote part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
The crown case is that Wright did not properly record helicopter flying hours and was concerned crash investigators would uncover the issue, triggering possible charges against him and his company.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC told the jury the charges did not relate to the cause of the accident and it was not alleged Wright was responsible for the crash or the death.
Mr Wilson was in a sling under the helicopter on a crocodile egg collecting mission when it plunged to the ground, killing him and critically injuring pilot Sebastian Robinson, who is now a paraplegic.
The jury on Friday is set to hear from bush helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge who was first onto the crash scene in a paperbark swamp after contact was lost with Mr Robinson's chopper.
Wright flew to the scene in his own helicopter with off-duty police officer Neil Mellon.
Mr Mellon told the jury on Thursday he removed a handgun and phone from Mr Wilson's body and told others at the scene he would put him in a body bag for transport by Careflight chopper to Darwin.
The jury heard a recording of a statutory declaration made by Wright to police days after the crash, saying crocodile egg collection using helicopters had its "inherent risks".
But he said his Helibrook company continued to work with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to minimise risk and make the job as safe as possible.
"Usually it's the crocodiles that's the danger," he said, with collectors dropped onto croc nests to collect the eggs.
"As much as the lads see it as a fun adventurous day, it's also a serious operation that we're doing."
Wright said in his statutory declaration he had no problem releasing maintenance documents to aviation safety authorities.
Everyone who flew into the crash scene was distraught and "pretty well shell-shocked" at the loss of Mr Wilson, whose body had been covered with a tarp, he said.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci has told the jury Wright failed to give aviation authorities the crashed chopper's maintenance release and ordered an associate "to just torch it".
It was also the crown case that Wright visited Mr Robinson in Royal Brisbane Hospital days after the crash and was "putting the hard word on him" to falsify helicopter flying hours, which he refused to do.
But defence senior counsel David Edwardson KC said his client "emphatically denied" trying to get Mr Robinson to falsify flight records or telling an associate to find and destroy the maintenance release.
The Darwin trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks.
A jury in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright is set to hear from a bush pilot who was first at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson.
Wright is being tried in the Supreme Court in Darwin on three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the February 2022 crash in a remote part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
The crown case is that Wright did not properly record helicopter flying hours and was concerned crash investigators would uncover the issue, triggering possible charges against him and his company.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC told the jury the charges did not relate to the cause of the accident and it was not alleged Wright was responsible for the crash or the death.
Mr Wilson was in a sling under the helicopter on a crocodile egg collecting mission when it plunged to the ground, killing him and critically injuring pilot Sebastian Robinson, who is now a paraplegic.
The jury on Friday is set to hear from bush helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge who was first onto the crash scene in a paperbark swamp after contact was lost with Mr Robinson's chopper.
Wright flew to the scene in his own helicopter with off-duty police officer Neil Mellon.
Mr Mellon told the jury on Thursday he removed a handgun and phone from Mr Wilson's body and told others at the scene he would put him in a body bag for transport by Careflight chopper to Darwin.
The jury heard a recording of a statutory declaration made by Wright to police days after the crash, saying crocodile egg collection using helicopters had its "inherent risks".
But he said his Helibrook company continued to work with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to minimise risk and make the job as safe as possible.
"Usually it's the crocodiles that's the danger," he said, with collectors dropped onto croc nests to collect the eggs.
"As much as the lads see it as a fun adventurous day, it's also a serious operation that we're doing."
Wright said in his statutory declaration he had no problem releasing maintenance documents to aviation safety authorities.
Everyone who flew into the crash scene was distraught and "pretty well shell-shocked" at the loss of Mr Wilson, whose body had been covered with a tarp, he said.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci has told the jury Wright failed to give aviation authorities the crashed chopper's maintenance release and ordered an associate "to just torch it".
It was also the crown case that Wright visited Mr Robinson in Royal Brisbane Hospital days after the crash and was "putting the hard word on him" to falsify helicopter flying hours, which he refused to do.
But defence senior counsel David Edwardson KC said his client "emphatically denied" trying to get Mr Robinson to falsify flight records or telling an associate to find and destroy the maintenance release.
The Darwin trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks.
A jury in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright is set to hear from a bush pilot who was first at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson.
Wright is being tried in the Supreme Court in Darwin on three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the February 2022 crash in a remote part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
The crown case is that Wright did not properly record helicopter flying hours and was concerned crash investigators would uncover the issue, triggering possible charges against him and his company.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC told the jury the charges did not relate to the cause of the accident and it was not alleged Wright was responsible for the crash or the death.
Mr Wilson was in a sling under the helicopter on a crocodile egg collecting mission when it plunged to the ground, killing him and critically injuring pilot Sebastian Robinson, who is now a paraplegic.
The jury on Friday is set to hear from bush helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge who was first onto the crash scene in a paperbark swamp after contact was lost with Mr Robinson's chopper.
Wright flew to the scene in his own helicopter with off-duty police officer Neil Mellon.
Mr Mellon told the jury on Thursday he removed a handgun and phone from Mr Wilson's body and told others at the scene he would put him in a body bag for transport by Careflight chopper to Darwin.
The jury heard a recording of a statutory declaration made by Wright to police days after the crash, saying crocodile egg collection using helicopters had its "inherent risks".
But he said his Helibrook company continued to work with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to minimise risk and make the job as safe as possible.
"Usually it's the crocodiles that's the danger," he said, with collectors dropped onto croc nests to collect the eggs.
"As much as the lads see it as a fun adventurous day, it's also a serious operation that we're doing."
Wright said in his statutory declaration he had no problem releasing maintenance documents to aviation safety authorities.
Everyone who flew into the crash scene was distraught and "pretty well shell-shocked" at the loss of Mr Wilson, whose body had been covered with a tarp, he said.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci has told the jury Wright failed to give aviation authorities the crashed chopper's maintenance release and ordered an associate "to just torch it".
It was also the crown case that Wright visited Mr Robinson in Royal Brisbane Hospital days after the crash and was "putting the hard word on him" to falsify helicopter flying hours, which he refused to do.
But defence senior counsel David Edwardson KC said his client "emphatically denied" trying to get Mr Robinson to falsify flight records or telling an associate to find and destroy the maintenance release.
The Darwin trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks.
A jury in the trial of reality TV star Matt Wright is set to hear from a bush pilot who was first at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris "Willow" Wilson.
Wright is being tried in the Supreme Court in Darwin on three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the February 2022 crash in a remote part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
The crown case is that Wright did not properly record helicopter flying hours and was concerned crash investigators would uncover the issue, triggering possible charges against him and his company.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci SC told the jury the charges did not relate to the cause of the accident and it was not alleged Wright was responsible for the crash or the death.
Mr Wilson was in a sling under the helicopter on a crocodile egg collecting mission when it plunged to the ground, killing him and critically injuring pilot Sebastian Robinson, who is now a paraplegic.
The jury on Friday is set to hear from bush helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge who was first onto the crash scene in a paperbark swamp after contact was lost with Mr Robinson's chopper.
Wright flew to the scene in his own helicopter with off-duty police officer Neil Mellon.
Mr Mellon told the jury on Thursday he removed a handgun and phone from Mr Wilson's body and told others at the scene he would put him in a body bag for transport by Careflight chopper to Darwin.
The jury heard a recording of a statutory declaration made by Wright to police days after the crash, saying crocodile egg collection using helicopters had its "inherent risks".
But he said his Helibrook company continued to work with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to minimise risk and make the job as safe as possible.
"Usually it's the crocodiles that's the danger," he said, with collectors dropped onto croc nests to collect the eggs.
"As much as the lads see it as a fun adventurous day, it's also a serious operation that we're doing."
Wright said in his statutory declaration he had no problem releasing maintenance documents to aviation safety authorities.
Everyone who flew into the crash scene was distraught and "pretty well shell-shocked" at the loss of Mr Wilson, whose body had been covered with a tarp, he said.
Crown prosecutor Jason Gullaci has told the jury Wright failed to give aviation authorities the crashed chopper's maintenance release and ordered an associate "to just torch it".
It was also the crown case that Wright visited Mr Robinson in Royal Brisbane Hospital days after the crash and was "putting the hard word on him" to falsify helicopter flying hours, which he refused to do.
But defence senior counsel David Edwardson KC said his client "emphatically denied" trying to get Mr Robinson to falsify flight records or telling an associate to find and destroy the maintenance release.
The Darwin trial before acting Justice Allan Blow is expected to take up to five weeks.