Outback Wrangler clashed with workers over safety weeks before fatal crash

Trouble was brewing between Outback Wrangler host Matt Wright and workers over an aborted crocodile egg collecting mission shortly before the fatal chopper crash that killed Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson.

Outback Wrangler host Matt Wright was allegedly involved in an explosive argument over the safety of a crocodile egg collecting mission a month before the fatal chopper crash that killed Netflix star Chris Wilson. Picture: Instagram

Outback Wrangler host Matt Wright, one of his co-accused and a pilot – who was later critically injured – were allegedly involved in an explosive argument over the safety of a crocodile egg collecting mission a month before the fatal chopper crash that killed Netflix star Chris Wilson.

In late January 2022, pilot Michael Burbidge allegedly confronted the celebrity croc wrangler at his Noonamah hangar, south of Darwin, to defend workers – including Wilson – who had aborted an egg collecting mission days earlier due a severe thunderstorm.

Trouble between Wright and his workers allegedly began brewing on Australia Day last year after four crews – contracted to Wright and Darwin crocodile king Mick Burns – called off their mission after a few hours of collecting due to an approaching storm.

Pilots Jock Purcell, Sebastian Robinson, Ty Richardson and Burbidge, egg collectors Wilson, Tim Luck and two others set off from Noonamah to collect crocodile eggs in the Litchfield area about 7am. By mid-morning rain was pelting down.

Pilot Sebastian Robinson with chopper crash victim Chris 'Willow' Wilson on a crocodile egg collecting mission. Picture: Supplied

The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed there was storm activity and lightning recorded around the area the men were flying, and a wind gust of about 25 knots recorded close by.

“The storm contained a few intense rainfall areas interspersed with less intense rainfall areas along the system,” a BOM spokesperson said.

Conditions of the CASA approval for Wright’s company to collect eggs using someone slung beneath a Robinson R44 helicopter include that “wind conditions, including wind gusts, for the area of the proposed operation must not exceed 15 knots”.

“Operations are not to be conducted within 5km of thunderstorm activity or observed lightning strikes,” the approval states. “Should thunderstorm activity or lightning strikes be observed, activities under this instrument are to be terminated as soon as safely possible.”

The Weekend Australian understands Burbidge declared the group should abort the operation that morning due to safety but, before calling it off, Robinson contacted Burns, who agreed it was too dangerous to continue.

The storm chased the choppers all the way back to town where the men cleaned them before going to the Noonamah Tavern to celebrate Australia Day.

A short time later, Wright called the men, one by one, demanding to know why they had stopped work. Sources told The Weekend Australian that when Robinson answered, his boss “went apeshit”.

Wright allegedly told the men – in language too colourful to print – that “egg collecting was not supposed to be easy” and they should have continued or waited out the storm. He also allegedly accused them of being lazy and just wanting to go to the pub.

“On Australia Day Matt was disappointed some crew chose to fly home to go to the pub without following protocol and notifying him of their movements,” a Wright spokesperson said.

Following the furious phone calls, some workers complied with Wright’s alleged demand they return to the hangar, but Wilson and Robinson refused.

The Weekend Australian understands that, after the blow-up, Robinson told Wright he would no longer fly his helicopter, a Robinson R44 Raven II registered VH-IDW, because its tail rotor blades were worn. He also allegedly told Wright to “get vaccinated and fly his own chopper” because, at that time, egg collecting was conducted in Covid-19 “exclusion zones”.

Matt Wright’s destroyed Robinson R44 Raven II bearing call sign VH-IDW. Picture: Supplied

A few days after the Australia Day mission, Robinson and Burbidge flew to Noonamah for another egg collecting job.

Upon landing, Burbidge, furious with Wright for calling them “lazy”, allegedly confronted him about the aborted Australia Day mission. He allegedly told Wright he had made the decision to abort the mission because it was too dangerous to fly, and angrily denied the men had slacked off. Wright refused to comment on the altercation.

“The helicopter hadn’t even wound down when Burbidge was out of the chopper and straight up to Matt,” a source said.

Wilson, whose business, Northern Australia Civil, is next to Helibrook’s hangar, told many people about the heated exchange before he was killed.

Days later, VH-IDW’s tail rotor blades were replaced and Robinson agreed to fly it again.

Just weeks later, on February 28, Wilson died when VH-IDW, which he was slinging beneath, crashed during an egg collecting mission at West Arnhem Land.

Robinson, the pilot, suffered severe spinal injuries. When Wright visited him in a Brisbane hospital on March 11, he allegedly told him to delete all of their text messages in front of him.

It is alleged Robinson, heavily medicated at the time, reluctantly complied. Wright refused to comment on the allegation.

Experts have told The Australian that law enforcement agencies can retrieve deleted text messages and other data erased from mobile phones.

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

Wright, Burbidge and former NT police officer Neil Mellon are charged with serious offences – including making false statements, destroying evidence and either conspiring or attempting to pervert the course of justice – related to their alleged actions after the crash. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is still investigating the crash and will release its final report in September.

“The helicopter had undergone a routine inspection two weeks before the (fatal) accident, all of which was carried out by an independent aviation expert and given a clean bill of health,” Wright’s spokesperson said.

“Matt looks forward to the actual facts of the matter being revealed in the court process, which will put an end to the reporting of inaccurate, misleading claims such as these.”

A two-day committal hearing has been set for December.