Top cop’s charges reportedly linked to helicopter crash that killed Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson

A string of charges laid against a senior NT Police officer relate to an alleged cover up following the helicopter crash that killed the Outback Wrangler cast member, The Australian has reported.

A STRING of charges laid against a senior NT Police officer relate to an alleged cover up following the helicopter crash that killed Outback Wrangler cast member Chris “Willow” Wilson, The Australian has reported.

Acting Senior Sergeant Neil Mellon was charged with 31 offences on Friday, including destroying evidence and attempting to pervert the course of justice in an ongoing major crash investigation.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Michael White said a major crash in February had triggered the six month investigation against the top cop, who was arrested as he reported for duty on Thursday morning.

The Australian has now reported that a second police officer charged with obtaining benefit by deception was also allegedly mixed up in the alleged cover up.

The national broadsheet reports that police will allege that Sgt Mellon asked the second officer to sign a false statement relating to the crash that killed Mr Wilson in February.

According to the report, Sgt Mellon was off duty at the time but “immediately flew to the scene and retrieved his friend’s body before emergency services arrived”.

Chris 'Willow' Wilson.

In April, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released its preliminary findings from an investigation into the crash, which also critically injured pilot Sebastian Robinson.

The ATSB’s investigation revealed the engine of the Robinson R44 helicopter stopped before it hit the ground near the King River, West Arnhem.

The report said Mr Wilson and Mr Robinson were part of a trio of helicopters collecting crocodile eggs in Arnhem Land under contract to Wildlife Harvesting.

Their Robinson R44 was one of two of the choppers used to collect eggs, while the third helicopter was assigned to transport the delicate cargo.

After leaving Noonamah just after 7am the trio flew together along the King River for 90 minutes.

Mr Wilson and Mr Robinson started collecting eggs near the first staging area, and after 30 minutes, the other crews headed off, 12km north east.

As an egg collector, Mr Wilson was harnessed to a 30m long line, allowing him to be slung below the chopper and access the crocodile nests.

The second team collected eggs from nine nests in just over an hour when worries started to creep in.

“Crew members of the other two helicopters became concerned when they had not heard any radio communications from the third helicopter,” ATSB director of transport safety Stuart Macleod said.

Fifteen minutes after turning back one of the pilots came across the tragic scene.

Only 300m from where they had last separated at the staging area, they saw the wreckage of the chopper.

The rotor blades were bent and twisted from where they had sliced through at least one tree in the paperbark swamp.

Hovering down closer they would have spotted the 28-year-old pilot, found lying beside the wreckage.

Mr Wilson’s body was found another 40m from the helicopter.