Second man charged over Outback Wrangler chopper crash

A 44-year-old man has been charged in relation to a Northern Territory helicopter crash that killed a reality television show cast member.

Outback Wrangler cast member Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson died in a helicopter crash in West Arnhem Land in February.

A second man has been charged in relation to the chopper crash that killed Outback Wrangler cast member Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson.

Northern Territory Police arrested a 44-year-old man on Wednesday morning following an ongoing investigation into the helicopter crash in West Arnhem Land in February.

The man was arrested in Darwin and 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.

The man has been bailed to appear in the Darwin Local court on October 19.

It comes after senior NT police officer Sergeant Neil Mellon was last month charged with 31 criminal offences including conspiracy to pervert the course of justice – which carries a 15-year jail sentence – and the destruction of evidence in relation to a major crash investigation.

Outback Wrangler Chris Wilson.

The Australian revealed those alleged offences are connected to the chopper crash which killed his friend “Willow”.

The Australian also revealed that Sergeant Mellon had flown to the crash site – while off-duty – and retrieved his friend’s body, took photos and established the incident scene while waiting for emergency services to arrive.

Last month Acting Deputy Commissioner of Operations and Road Safety Michael White revealed that the more serious charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and destruction of evidence stem back to a major crash investigation that commenced in February this year.

Wilson – a cast member of National Geographic’s Outback Wrangler – died in the chopper crash on the King River, in a remote part of West Arnhem Land, on February 28.

The 34-year-old was strapped into a harness attached to a 30-metre line to collect crocodile eggs when the Robinson R44 helicopter crashed 30km south of South Goulburn Island.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s preliminary report has since found the accident happened shortly after the aircraft left its landing zone and that the chopper’s engine stopped before the chopper hit the ground.

The ATSB’s examination of the engine found there were no defects likely to result in engine failure at the time.

Helicopter pilot Sebastian Robinson, 28, suffered serious injuries in the crash but survived.

Wilson and Robinson worked on National Geographic’s reality television show Outback Wrangler.

Wilson – who also features in Channel 9’s new series Matt Wright’s Wild Territory – left behind his wife Danielle and two young sons.

Earlier this month The Australian revealed that the Northern Territory’s workplace safety watchdog had launched an investigation into the crash.

Since its initial assessment, NT WorkSafe has determined that the “serious incident” possibly resulted from potential breaches of duty under work health and safety laws.

Earlier this month the Northern Territory’s workplace safety watchdog launched an investigation into the crash.

NT WorkSafe inspectors have also issued prohibition notices to all companies involved in the harvesting of crocodile eggs in the Northern Territory, prohibiting the practice of collecting crocodile eggs from the wild by transporting workers suspended from a helicopter via a sling.

Its investigators are now focused on what processes, procedures and safe systems of work the company had in place at the time of Wilson’s death and whether these were followed.

If their investigation determines that breaches occurred, the regulator will consider prosecution with possible offences ranging up to industrial manslaughter, which carries the penalty of life imprisonment for an individual or, for a business, a $10.075m fine.

The ATSB told The Australian that its investigation was ongoing and its final report was expected to be released by the end of the year.

Sergeant Mellon, who joined the NT Police in 1995, has been suspended from work without pay.

The 47-year-old, who is on bail, is due to appear in Darwin Local Court on Friday.