Outback Wrangler Chris Wilson’s wife sues co-star Matt Wright’s company over fatal chopper crash

Danielle Wilson is reportedly seeking damages, interest and costs after her husband Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson was killed on the ill-fated crocodile egg-collecting trip in February.

Outback Wrangler star Chris “Willow” Wilson’s wife is reportedly suing his Netflix co-star Matt Wright’s company over the crash that killed the 34-year-old last year.

The Australian newspaper reported Danielle Wilson’s lawyer David Lloyd filed the suit, which also includes the Civil Aviation Safety Authority as a defendant, in the Federal Court on Tuesday.

Ms Wilson is reportedly seeking damages, interest and costs after her husband was killed on the ill-fated crocodile egg-collecting trip on February 28.

The Robinson R44 chopper was owned and operated by Mr Wright’s company Helibrook, with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau handing down its findings into the crash last month.

The ATSB was critical of Helibrook in its findings, saying the company had a “long history of noncompliance” and the helicopter had several engine defects at the time of the crash.

The report also found Helibrook likely failed to properly log its true flight hours and was not using its CASA-approved plan to systematically identify and manage operational hazards.

But the ATSB also took aim at CASA, saying it failed to identify, assess and mitigate risks when it approved a safety plan that allowed egg collectors to be slung below the chopper without limits on height, speed and exposure.

After the findings were released last month, director of Carter Capner Law and light aircraft pilot Peter Carter told the NT News the crash could leave CASA open to a compensation claim by Mr Wilson’s family.

Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson with his wife Danielle Wilson before his tragic death in February last year.

“They granted an exemption in respect of long standing safety rules,” Ms Carter said.

“But they did it without a proper evaluation, they didn’t adequately assess the risks of the potentially dangerous operation and they removed safety standards that they shouldn’t have.”

In breaking her silence earlier this year, Ms Wilson described to The Australian what she said had been the “worst, toughest and most traumatising year” of her life.

“A year ago today we lost you to the heavens in the most tragic of circumstances,” she said.

“The past year has been the longest and shortest of our lives. Time has stood still, yet we have blinked and a year has gone by without our greatest love.”

In a statement posted to Instagram after the ATSB released its findings, Mr Wright noted trace elements of cocaine found in pilot Sebastian Robinson’s blood, saying he had a strong stance against drugs.

“To find this out has blown me away,” he said.

“If I had known then he wouldn’t have been flying Willow nor would he be flying any of our machines.”

Mr Wright is facing criminal charges for allegedly tampering with the crash site and is due to return to court in Darwin on Thursday.

Originally published as Outback Wrangler Chris Wilson’s wife sues co-star Matt Wright’s company over fatal chopper crash