ATSB report reveals long list of items missing from site of fatal Outback Wrangler chopper crash

A couple of red jerry cans, that were full of fuel, are among the crucial evidence missing from the site of the fatal Northern Territory chopper crash that killed Netflix star Chris Wilson.

Chris 'Willow' Wilson and the site of the fatal helicopter crash.

A couple of red jerry cans, that were full of fuel, are among the crucial evidence missing from the site of the fatal Northern Territory chopper crash that killed Netflix star Chris Wilson.

The father-of-two was slinging beneath a Robinson R44 helicopter – owned and operated by Matt Wright’s company Helibrook – when it crashed in a remote part of West Arnhem Land during a crocodile egg collecting mission on February 28 last year.

The national transport safety watchdog found the chopper, registered VH-IDW, likely collided with terrain soon after take-off due to fuel exhaustion and that safety issues involving Helibrook and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority contributed to the crash.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s 113-page final report into the accident, released last week, included a long list of items that vanished from the crash site.

The report said that first responders, which it is understood refers to CareFlight nurses, provided images of the site to the ATSB that showed two 20-litre jerry cans of fuel in VH-IDW after it crashed.

When CareFlight arrived, there was a jerry can, filled with blue fuel, behind each of the front seats of the destroyed chopper.

“The jerry cans were subsequently removed from the helicopter and were not at the site when the ATSB arrived, nor subsequently provided to verify their contents,” the report said.

Chopper crash victim Chris 'Willow' Wilson with the destroyed helicopter VH-IDW.

The time of the crash remains unknown but pilot Michael Burbidge – who was in another crew on the egg collecting mission – found Wilson’s body, critically injured pilot Sebastian Robinson and the wreckage at 10.36am. He landed before taking off to call for help.

A CareFlight crew, who arrived at 12.32pm, reported that there was no smell or indication of fuel, only hydraulic fluid, which created a sheen on the water.

Wright arrived at the crash site with Mick Burns, who owns the crocodile harvesting business, and off-duty police officer Neil Mellon as CareFlight was departing with Robinson onboard.

“Those first on site and the accident pilot reported that both [jerry cans] were full at the time of the accident and had probably been filled at Noonamah that morning,” the ATSB said.

“The jerry can behind the pilot seat was reportedly damaged on impact and may have leaked fuel, although no one reported detecting fuel leaking at the time.”

Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson marking crocodile eggs.

The ATSB said the “potential effect of interference with the site” was considered in relation to the removal of the jerry cans and the fuel testing results.

“No one at the site, including the first to arrive, who was there until 1555, reported seeing anyone pour fuel into, or drain fuel from, VH-IDW,” the ATSB said.

“It was also reported that fuel from the 2 jerry cans was emptied into other helicopters that attended the site prior to their return to Darwin.

“Further, the empty jerry cans were then reportedly used to transfer fuel from a fuel drum to a helicopter at Mount Borradaile on the return to Darwin.”

The ATSB said many other items onboard were also removed from the crash location.

Its report said that – based on photos, interviews, and evidence from the accident site – when the helicopter departed Noonamah that morning with the pilot and egg collector on board, it was also carrying slinging equipment, egg collecting buckets and poles, eight engine oil cartons, fishing rod/s, firearms, drink bottles, ammunition and personal effects.

“The ATSB did not have access to many of these items and it is unknown if other items may have been on board but removed from the site,” the report said.

“The pilot reported that they normally had the following under their seat: lunch, water bottle, satellite phone, first aid kit and a raincoat.

“A broken headset and other small items were found under the pilot seat and photos from the site showed other items that were removed before ATSB arrived that may also have been stored under the seat.”

Chris 'Willow' Wilson with pilot Sebastian Robinson.

The Pilot’s Operating Handbook and maintenance release were not in the helicopter and Wilson’s mobile phone – which potentially contained data relevant to the accident sequence – was missing.

The 34-year-old’s phone had been momentarily in range of the nearest phone tower at 8.58am.

“The egg collector’s phone had been operating in the vicinity of the accident site, but was missing and could not be obtained by the ATSB for analysis,” the report said.

“Phone records show the last mobile data session before the accident, commenced on the pilot’s phone at 0847:37 and the egg collector’s phone at 0858:16.

“As mobile phone reception was only in range when about 300 ft above the accident site, this may indicate that the egg collector was briefly airborne in the helicopter at that time.”

ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell last week told The Australian that his team’s investigation into the crash had been “complex”.

“It’s complex because … all of the evidence wasn’t made available to us,” he said.

“We had to go to even greater lengths to challenge what was available to us and to make our findings.”

Site of fatal chopper crash involving VH-IDW.

ATSB investigators arrived at the remote crash site near the King River on March 2.

The wreckage was in a crocodile-infested black dirt swamp and surrounded by water, up to about 0.5 m deep.

“We really only had a day on site and that’s because of the particular environmental risks on site,” Mr Mitchell said.

“And also, we wanted to recover the actual airframe and move it to a safer location in the quickest possible time frame.

“So whilst we’ve only had a number of hours on site, it was sufficient for us to get a very good idea of parts of the sequence of events, and of the evidence that was available there.”

The chief commissioner said investigators were able to piece together some of what happened in the hours after the crash.

“Certainly we know who was first on site. We know some of the actions that were taken,” he said.

“We certainly have some photographic evidence very early in the piece, well before we got there.

“We also have the evidence of numerous people who were on that site and from the CareFlight nurse.

“So some people who were potentially involved and some people who were completely independent of the process.”

Key locations and times. Photo: ATSB.

The ATSB referred matters concerning possible offences under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003, relating to the “status of evidence available” for its investigation, to the Australian Federal Police.

The AFP referred the matters to NT Police, who investigated and provided a brief of evidence to the Territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr Mitchell said it was an unprecedented move on his part.

“I think this will be the first time that we have actually referred,” he said.

“So where things have not been made available to us, we have threatened that in the past but this is, to my knowledge, the first time a chief commissioner has actually referred it to the DPP for consideration.

“So that’s where this one does differ from other investigations and that was a very conscious effort from me as chief commissioner to go down that path of using the powers of the Act.

“This is the first time where we believe evidence was not made available to us which potentially constitutes potential offences under the Transport Safety Act.”

The Australian understands the NT DPP is still considering the matters.