Netflix star Chris Wilson’s widow sues CASA and Outback Wrangler Matt Wright’s company Helibrook

The widow of Netflix star Chris Wilson – who was killed in an NT chopper crash – has hired one of the country’s best aviation barristers to sue Outback Wrangler Matt Wright and CASA.

Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson with his wife Danielle. The 34-year-old father-of-two was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in a remote part of West Arnhem Land while collecting crocodile eggs. Pictures - Supplied

The widow of Netflix star Chris Wilson – who was killed in a Northern Territory chopper crash – has hired one of the country’s best aviation barristers to sue the company of Outback Wrangler Matt Wright and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Danielle Wilson lost her husband on February 28 last year when the helicopter he was slinging beneath crashed in a remote part of West Arnhem Land during a crocodile egg collecting mission.

Wilson – who starred on reality television shows including Outback Wrangler and Wild Croc Territory – also left behind the couple’s two young sons, Ted and Austin. Pilot Sebastian Robinson suffered severe spinal injuries and is now paraplegic.

The destroyed Robinson R44 Raven II was owned and operated by Wright’s company Helibrook and was operating under a CASA instrument – which allowed Helibrook to sling a person beneath their piston engine powered helicopters for the purpose of crocodile egg collecting – at the time it crashed.

Ms Wilson has since engaged Salerno Law managing partner Cliff Savala, who briefed barrister David Lloyd SC from Sydney’s 12 Wentworth Selborne Chambers, to represent her.

Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson with his wife Danielle.

Mr Lloyd also acted for widow Julie Black, who sued CASA – and received a confidential settlement days before the Supreme Court showdown was set to begin – over the death of her pilot husband David, who was killed while firebombing in 2013.

Ms Wilson’s application, prepared by Mr Lloyd, was filed in the New South Wales Registry of the Federal Court of Australia on Tuesday.

The application – which names CASA and Helibrook as the respondents – is seeking damages, interest, costs, interest on costs and “such other order as the court sees fit”.

A spokesperson for Gillis Delaney Lawyers, which represents Wright, this afternoon said the proceeding had been forwarded to Helibrook’s insurer who will be conducting the defence to the claim.

CASA today said it would be “inappropriate to comment on matters before, or expected to be before, the courts”.

Ms Wilson launched the costly litigation just a few months before the strict two-year time limitation, which applies to civil aviation matters, was set to expire.

Outback Wrangler Matt Wright and Chris 'Willow' Wilson. NT News

The case is expected to be assigned to a Federal Court judge by early next year, at which time the respondents will be ordered to file a response to Ms Wilson’s allegations.

The 33-year-old filed her application in Sydney but the matter might be heard in her hometown of Darwin when it comes before the Federal Court for a directions hearing, or case management as it is called in the NT, next year.

The civil action comes less than a fortnight after the Australian Transport Safety Bureau released its 113-page final report into her husband’s fatal accident, which found that the helicopter likely collided with terrain soon after take-off due to fuel exhaustion, but also laid bare a litany of failures and serious safety issues involving CASA and Helibrook.

“The ATSB found that Helibrook’s CASA-approved safety management system was not being used to systematically identify and manage operational hazards,” the findings stated.

“As a result, the risks inherent in conducting human sling operations, such as carriage of the egg collector above a survivable fall height, were not adequately addressed.”

Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson with his wife Danielle.

The federal investigation revealed that CASA issued annual authorisations for crocodile egg collectors – which allowed them to sling a person beneath their piston engine powered helicopters – for 15 years without seeing or conducting a single risk assessment.

The ATSB found that CASA delegates had removed safety conditions from crocodile egg collecting authorisations, including a crucial 5m height rule, making it more likely the sling person would be killed if the helicopter’s engine failed.

And in September 2021, CASA granted Helibrook a 40-month exemption to looming new flight rules that stipulated only the safer turbine engine powered helicopters were permitted to be used for human slinging operations.

Just months later, Wilson was dead when Helibrook’s piston engine powered helicopter crashed with the 34-year-old slinging beneath it.

Since Wilson’s death NT Police have charged Wright, former police officer Neil Mellon and pilot Michael Burbidge – who was on the egg collecting mission and discovered the destroyed helicopter – with serious criminal offences related to investigations into the fatal crash.

The three men are due to face a committal hearing in the Darwin Local Court tomorrow.