Latest news with #Careflight
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- The Advertiser
Bush helicopter pilot to front reality TV star's trial
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.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Perth Now
Bush helicopter pilot to front reality TV star's trial
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.
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Major update after frantic search was launched for man feared to have been eaten by crocodiles
The body of a man last seen jumping off a bridge into croc-infested waters has been recovered following an extensive search and rescue operation in the Darwin Harbour. Local man Brendan, 55, disappeared after jumping from the Channel Island Bridge. Police say he was reportedly with workmates when he jumped off the bridge into the water at 9:42pm on Friday. They said he was initially laughing but suddenly began drifting away. There were strong tidal currents and Brendan appeared to struggle before disappearing from view. Despite efforts from his friends to encourage him back to shore, Brendon was last seen in the middle of the channel, heading toward Darwin City. The search and rescue operation commenced after his friends lost sight of him and continued until the early hours of Saturday morning. NT Police Search and Rescue Section, a Careflight helicopter and the Port Authority assisted in the search. The coordinated effort included two helicopters, two NT Police vessels, Surf Life Saving crews, NT Emergency Service volunteers, Crocodile Management teams, and NT Police officers conducting foot patrols along nearby coastlines. His body was sighted in the water near East Arm Wharf about 11.30am on Saturday. NT Police said the body matches the description of an individual who was last seen entering the water about 9:40pm on Friday. Formal identification is yet to be completed. Last year, authorities launched a rescue operation on Channel Island, after he became stuck in the mangroves. Police received reports a man had become trapped in the mangroves, approximately 700metres from the nearest main road. Due to the shallow water levels, rescue crews were unable to reach him by boat. Instead, officers deployed a jet ski to navigate the difficult terrain and were able to reach the man and bring him to shore. Upon recovery, the man was reportedly disoriented and showing signs of delirium, believed to be the result of extreme dehydration. He was immediately transported to Royal Darwin Hospital for medical treatment.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
1 taken to hospital by Careflight after motorcycle crashes into house
A three-wheeled motorcycle hit a house Saturday evening, and Careflight was called to the scene. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a person was injured after their three-wheeled motorcycle hit a house in Clark County. TRENDING STORIES: NATO delegates explore Dayton outside the secure zone Shooting near Dayton schools injures 1, leads to chase on I-75 NATO security becomes impromptu guests at couple's wedding First responders were called to the intersection of State Route 41 and Spence Road in Pike Township around 9: 25 p.m., according to OSHP. Careflight was called to the scene shortly after responders arrived. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
At least 1 injured after 2-vehicle crash on busy Moraine street
At least one person is hurt after a crash in Moraine early Sunday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Officers and medics responded to the 1900 block of Dryden Road around 12:13 a.m. on reports of an injury crash, according to dispatchers. TRENDING STORIES: Rescue boats respond to reports of person in water at yacht club 1 taken to hospital by Careflight after motorcycle crashes into house NATO delegates explore Dayton outside the secure zone Two vehicles are involved in the crash. Initial scanner traffic indicated that one of the vehicles was a black Chrysler. Dispatchers told News Center 7 that at least one person is injured. We are working to learn that person's condition and what led to the crash. News Center 7 will update this developing story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
