ICU bid for crash pilot Sebastian Robinson’s mobile

Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright allegedly sent a staffer to get the mobile phone of critically injured pilot Sebastian Robinson as he lay in a Brisbane intensive care unit.

Pilot Sebastian Robinson suffered severe spinal injuries and many broken bones in the February 28 crash in a remote part of the Northern Territory.

Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright allegedly sent a staffer to get the mobile phone of critically injured pilot Sebastian Robinson as he lay in a Brisbane intensive care unit, just two days after the fatal February chopper crash that killed cast member Chris “Willow” Wilson at West Arnhem Land.

The 34-year-old was killed when the helicopter from which he was dangling crashed on the King River during a crocodile egg collection mission on the last day of Darwin’s wet season.

The R44 Raven II registered VH-IDW was operated by Mr Wright’s company Helibrook.

The Australian can reveal that Mr Wright’s operations manager, Tim Johnson, visited the 28-year-old Mr Robinson, who had suffered severe spinal injuries and many broken bones, at a Brisbane hospital on March 2 and allegedly asked for his personal mobile phone and diary.

It is understood a relative of Mr Robinson reluctantly handed the diary to Mr Johnson before another family member – who was outside the hospital room during the exchange – found out what had happened, phoned Mr Johnson and demanded he immediately return it, which he did.

Mr Johnson is understood to have apologised for taking it but said Mr Wright – an ambassador for both NT Tourism and Tourism Australia – had sent him to obtain the two items.

The Australian can also reveal that 12 days after the chopper crash – on March 11 – Mr Wright and his wife, Kaia, visited Mr Robinson, who is also a qualified aircraft engineer, in hospital and allegedly asked him to sign off on changes to documents related to the destroyed chopper.

When Mr Robinson refused to sign the documents that day, Mr Wright visited him again two days later – on March 13 – and again ­allegedly asked him to alter the helicopter’s records.

Mr Robinson was conscious during these visits but remained in a serious condition until late March.

Mr Johnson, who continues to work for Mr Wright, told The Australian he would “rather not comment” on the allegations.

“My visit was 100 per cent a private and personal visit and nothing to do with work whatsoever and I wasn’t working at the time of visiting so I’d rather not comment, to be quite frank,” he said on Sunday.

“I think all of this has been blown out of proportion and I ­really don’t want any part in this.

“My visit was 100 per cent a private and personal visit to console not only Seb but his mum.

“I don’t really want it spun that I’ve done anything like that or been involved at all. I’m not denying anything. I’m not commenting. I reserve my right not to comment on all of this.”

Mr Wright did not respond to questions.

On Monday, Mr Robinson said he could not confirm the incidents because of multiple ongoing investigations into the crash.

Mr Robinson was airlifted to hospital after sustaining life-threatening injuries when the helicopter crashed about 9am on February 28 in a remote part of the Northern Territory. CareFlight arrived on site about 12.30pm and airlifted Mr Rob­inson to the Royal Darwin Hos­pital before transferring him to Brisbane.

Wilson, who starred on reality television shows Outback Wrangler, Matt Wright’s Wild Territory and Wild Croc Territory, had been strapped into a harness attached to a 30m-long line to collect crocodile eggs when the R44 collided with terrain, soon after takeoff, about 30km south of South Goulburn Island.

Mr Wright flew to the scene immediately after the crash, along with Darwin publican Mick Burns, who owns the crocodile-egg harvesting business, and former senior NT cop Neil Mellon.

Mr Mellon has since been charged with dozens of offences including making a false statement, the destruction of evidence and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice – which carries a 15-year jail sentence – in relation to the major crash investigation.

Bush helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge, who was on the crocodile egg collection mission and landed at the scene, has been charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, attempt to pervert the course of justice, destruction of evidence and providing a false statement in a statutory declaration.

In October, The Australian revealed Wilson’s missing mobile phone was at the centre of the major crash investigation. It is understood Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators had sought his mobile because it held crucial flight data, but were told no one at the crash site had seen it.

The NT police investigation into the crash is ongoing.