Prosecutors, safety watchdogs to examine culpability in chopper crash that killed Outback Wrangler star

The ‘culpability’ of people involved in the chopper crash that killed Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson is being investigated after police handed evidence to prosecutors and safety watchdogs.

Authorities are “examining the culpability of individuals and entities” in relation to the death of Outback Wrangler star Chris “Willow” Wilson after police handed prosecutors a brief of evidence.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau on Wednesday released its findings into the fatal helicopter crash in West Arnhem Land last year.

It found the Robinson R44, which was being piloted by Seb Robinson as Wilson dangled below collecting crocodile eggs, likely failed mid-air due to running out of fuel.

Wilson, a father of two, died aged 34, while the then 28-year-old Mr Robinson was left with lifelong injuries.

Pilot Sebastian Robinson and Chris 'Willow' Wilson.

The ATSB was critical of the helicopter company operator Helibrook — which is owned by reality television star Matt Wright — saying it had a “long history of noncompliance” and the chopper had several engine defects.

There are requirements for helicopter maintenance every 100 hours of operation, yet investigators concluded Helibrook was likely not recording its full flight hours.

The report also found low levels of cocaine in Mr Robinson’s blood samples, with his alleged drug use in the days earlier possibly contributing to fatigue and inattention.

On Thursday, NT Police announced it had shared a comprehensive investigation file into the crash with the Director of Public Prosecutions, WorkSafe NT and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

The file includes maintenance and fuel records, expert opinions concerning the fuel system and airworthiness of the stricken aircraft and “toxicology analyses of individuals involved in the crash”.

Detectives have also provided comprehensive evidence to the ATSB to assist with their investigation aimed at improving aviation safety.

Helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge, former police officer Neil Mellon, and Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright.

Wright, along with former NT cop Neil Mellon and Remote Helicopters Australia owner Michael Burbidge, still have cases proceeding through the Darwin courts for allegedly conspiring to destroy and fabricate evidence from the crash.

A committal hearing in December is set to determine whether the case will go to trial.

The trio have not entered any pleas, and there is no suggestion they were involved in the fatal crash before allegedly tampering with the scene.

There is also no indication Mellon or Burbidge will be examined in the new probe.

Compensation claims a possibility, legal expert says

The damning Australian Transport Safety Bureau report into the helicopter crash that killed Chris “Willow” Wilson could lead to a compensation payout if pursued by the reality star’s family, according to a leading aviation and accident lawyer.

Director of Carter Capner Law and light aircraft pilot Peter Carter said the findings should sound alarm bells for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, who granted the chopper company Helibrook – owned by Outback Wrangler Matt Wright – safety exemptions to carry out croc-egg retrievals.

“They granted an exemption in respect of long standing safety rules,” Ms Carter said.

“But they did it without a proper evaluation, they didn’t adequately assess the risks of the potentially dangerous operation, and they removed safety standards that they shouldn’t have.”

Aviation lawyer Peter Carter says the safety authority failed to properly mitigate risk when granting safety exemptions to Matt Wright’s chopper company. Picture: Supplied.

The crash investigation found CASA failed to identify, assess and mitigate risks when it approved a safety plan for Helibrook that allowed egg collectors to be slung below the choppers without limits on height, speed and exposure.

It also allowed piston engine helicopters to be used for human sling operations, such as the Robinson R44 involved in the crash, rather than requiring safer turbine choppers.

Investigators concluded Wilson was about 9m above ground when the helicopter ran out of fuel mid-flight, suffering fatal injuries when ejected from his sling by pilot Seb Robinson.

The report also found Helibrook likely failed to properly log its true flight hours, and was not using its CASA-approved plan to systematically identify and manage operational hazards.

Mr Carter said that regardless of any possible operator wrongdoing, the whole design of the exercise and approval was inherently dangerous and CASA “might find themselves on the end of a compensation lawsuit”.

“It’s at the fringe of aviation, they have to get this special exemption and there wasn’t a sufficiently robust procedure for that to occur,” he said.

“It really is a very sad state of affairs from the safety regulator’s point of view.”

CASA has implemented significant changes to its internal processes to improve risk assessments and monitoring, the safety bureau noted.