Outback Wrangler Matt Wright’s wife lifts lid on chopper crash toll

Abuse from strangers, the loss of a friend and questions from children that can’t be answered. Outback Wrangler Matt Wright’s wife Kaia opens up on how that fatal chopper crash destroyed more than just their best mate’s life.

When little Banjo Wright asked his mum if daddy was going to jail, she turned her head away to hide her tears.

The little boy had just witnessed hoons doing burnouts in front of his father and shouting at him “jail man”.

Kaia Wright has been doing everything she can to shield four-year-old Banjo from the vitriol sprayed at her husband Matt since his best mate Chris “Willow” Wilson died in a helicopter crash at King River in February 2022.

But as the family walked out of the cafe in downtown Darwin earlier this week with their acai bowls in hand, there was nothing she could do but watch the smoke and inhale the fumes from the burning rubber tyres.

“What do you say to your sparkly son who just idolises their dad, what do you say to that?” Kaia told The Sunday Telegraph.

Matt Wright's wife Kaia is struggling to explain their reality to children Banjo and Dusty. Picture: Charlie Bliss

“The hardest part in all of this is that Willow is gone and it’s the hardest for his family. Willow would absolutely hate seeing his community torn apart,” she said.

“At the end of the day we haven’t been able to remember or honour Willow in the way we should.

“It was his birthday the other day and we couldn’t even all get together and have a barbie to remember him because Matt isn’t allowed to speak to some of his friends because of his bail conditions.

“Everything has a cloud over it because Willow is gone. That’s the hardest part and second to that is that he is not being respected or remembered or honoured how he should be.”

Matt Wright will face a trial over the death of his best mate Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson. Picture: Charlie Bliss

Wright, the Outback Wrangler star, will face trial later this year accused of perverting the course of justice in relation to alleged actions after the helicopter crash that killed his co-star Willow and seriously injured pilot Sebastian Robinson.

As part of his bail conditions Wright has been ordered not to contact over 50 people, including former police officer Neil Mellon and helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge, who were also charged in relation to the crash.

Wright has also been told not to contact Willow’s wife.

No charges have been laid in relation to the cause of the crash.

“When I talk about what we are going through I check myself because it’s not about us, it’s about Willow, and there are so many people who have been impacted, none more so than his family,” Kaia said.

The Northern Territory chopper crash killed Chris Wilson in 2022. Picture: ATSB report

She was pregnant with her daughter Dusty when the crash happened.

“My whole pregnancy is a blur. We were completely in fight or flight mode,” she said.

“As we were grieving, Matt was grieving, the whole media speculation and rumours started and you could feel the pressure and stress building.

“It must have been seven months after the crash that we started reading false stuff in the media. Some of the things we read were not based on one fact.

“Rumours started circulating that police were investigating Matt and we were like ‘why? Why aren’t they investigating the cause of the crash?

“From the very beginning all the focus was on Matt and not on unearthing what caused the crash in our eyes.”

Kaia said it felt to her like Matt was the one and only focus of investigators.

“While I was pregnant with Dusty the police raided our house, there were multiple police cars turning up at our house. They took birthday cards, love letters between Matt and I.

Happier times … Matt Wright's son Banjo with Chris Wilson.

“Days after I had the baby in our home they had bugged our home, it made me feel sick. Being home with a 10-day old baby and knowing people listened to that private intimate time.”

“It was bizarre, we felt the weight of the world on our shoulders, Matt was isolated from his friends and employees, he couldn’t speak to his closest mates when he needed them the most, we couldn’t run the business because he couldn’t speak to management and staff.”

Kaia said there were days when her husband couldn’t get off the couch.

“It’s so hard to see such a positive person so down and broken.”

She conceded she has had her own low moments dealing with the hate.

“When I was pregnant with Dusty I posted a picture on insta with Banjo and Matt and the comments came in calling my husband a murderer, telling me to enjoy family time before he gets locked up.

Matt and Kaia Wright with their children Banjo and Dusty … The family are still piecing their lives back together. Picture: Charlie Bliss

“It brings tears to my eyes how people can be so cruel. Humanity has evolved but our decency is getting worse.”

Kaia fears the dark cloud hovering over her family every day won’t dissipate any time soon.

“Having to raise your family in this environment it’s tough. One time we woke in the middle of the night to the sound of a bomb going off. Someone put a bomb in our power box and blew it up.

“If Matt’s not home I put chairs in front of my doors, it’s that constant anxiety and stress that can get hard to navigate every day and still run a business, be a mum and be a wife.

“I wake up every day and pray for strength to choose love over fear and be positive because I know it’s the only way to get through this.”

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