Man arrested when helicopter crash kills crewmember of Outback Wrangler TV show.

[facthunter]

My Why not wasn't directed at any specific person.  and people do sue.   nev

[onetrack]

Here is an update on the trials. Matt Wright has been committed to stand trial next year in the N.T. Supreme Court on charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice, and fabricating and destroying evidence, as well as associated charges.

 

Helicopter pilot Michael Burbidge pleaded guilty to a charge of destroying evidence this morning, as well. Former NT Police officer Neil Mellon also pleaded guilty to a charge of destroying evidence related to the crash.

Additional charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice, and making a false declaration were withdrawn against Neil Mellon.

 

Matt Wright strenously denies all the charges laid against him, and states he is going to defend them.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-07/croc-wrangler-matt-wright-committed-to-stand-trial-nt-court/103199446

[onetrack]

Matt Wrights problems compounded today when NT WorkSafe laid additional charges (in addition to the current Police charges) relating to unsafe work practices in his helicopter operations, that are related to the death of Chris Wilson.

 

From the news article;

 

“NT WorkSafe has charged commercial helicopter company Helibrook Pty Ltd and company director Mr Matthew Nicholas Wright, with breaches of the Northern Territory’s work health and safety laws over their failures to maintain safe aircraft and allowing the aircraft to be operated when unsafe,” a spokesperson said.

“While the exact cause of the helicopter crash has not been determined by any regulatory agency, and there is insufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case to lay charges in relation to the crash at this point in time, NT WorkSafe’s investigation has found sufficient evidence to allege Helibrook Pty Ltd and Mr Wright engaged in conduct intended to falsify the actual number of flight hours accrued by the aircraft in the Helibrook fleet, over an extended period of time.”

 

NT WorkSafe said this included interfering with the Hobbs Meters, which records the time an aircraft is in use, and not accurately recording flight times in the aircraft’s maintenance release, which is a key document to the safe operation of an aircraft.

 

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/court-justice/outback-wrangler-star-matt-wright-charged-with-reckless-conduct-over-crash-that-killed-co-star-chris-wilson-c-13513208

 

[onetrack]

The widow of Chris "Willow" Wilson, who is suing CASA and Helibrook over the death of her husband, is now seeking to add Matt Wright as a party to the civil lawsuit over her husbands death.

 

She is also seeking a freezing order over the assets of Matt Wright and his wife. The order is designed to prevent Mr Wright and his wife from transferring or disposing of any their assets.

 

The freezing application has been adjourned to March 22, 2024 for a half-day hearing.

 

 

Widow of Netflix star Chris 'Willow' Wilson seeks to freeze Matt Wright's assets in civil lawsuit - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

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The widow of Netflix star Chris "Willow" Wilson is seeking to freeze Matt Wright's assets as the Federal Court considers her bid to personally add the celebrity crocodile wrangler to a civil lawsuit over her husband's...

 

Edited February 20, 2024 by onetrack

[onetrack]

The trial of Matt Wright, based on three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, has started. It appears the prosecution case is hinging on many intercepted phone calls, and also on the basis that Matt Wright falsified the hours the crash chopper had reportedly flown.

 

 

Live: Crown lays out case against celebrity crocodile wrangler Matt Wright in NT Supreme Court - ABC News

WWW.ABC.NET.AU

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The jury has heard of secret recordings and Matt Wright pressuring an injured pilot to doctor flight logs in the Netflix star's criminal trial, with the defence now taking the stand. Follow live.

 

ATSB report into the crash ....

 

Fuel exhaustion and collision with terrain involving Robinson R44 II, VH-IDW, King River, Northern Territory, on 28 February 2022 | ATSB

WWW.ATSB.GOV.AU

 

Edited August 7, 2025 by onetrack

[red750]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/pilot-says-matt-wright-wanted-flight-hours-manipulated-court-told/vi-AA1KqLCl?ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=6225bd5958db40b3fd80582a6d3aad1c&ei=83

 

[onetrack]

Matt Wright, who was found guilty on two charges of conspiring to pervert the course of justice, after a four week trial, back in August 2025, has lost his appeal against the guilty verdicts.

 

In another blow for Wright, he lodged a complaint with the NT Police Professional Standards Command, over comments made by a NT police officer who was involved in the crash investigation.

 

Wright, through his lawyer, claimed that Detective Senior Sergeant Corey Borton made "potentially defamatory statements" about Wright and his wife in a media interview.

The NTPPSC reviewed Bortons comments and rejected any NT Police liability or inference that Wright had been defamed. 

 

Ignore the lurid headlines, the story below is reasonably accurate, but it does not report on the current outcome of Wrights double loss, on the charges appeal, and on the police statements complaint.

Things have not turned out well for the Outback Wrangler, and he is yet to be sentenced for his convictions. As with all crashes resulting in fatality or fatalities, there are never any winners, and a lot of people always refuse to man up for their failings.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15303469/Outback-Wrangler-Matt-Wright.html

 

[onetrack]

Here is an earlier ABC News article (dated Sept 2025), outlining Wrights five grounds of appeal against his conviction. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, all the grounds he listed were rejected today.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-27/matt-wright-five-grounds-of-appeal-revealed/105824618

 

[Thruster88]

Slinging a human under a piston single engine helicopter operating in the "dead man's curve" probably should not be approved. 

 

Understanding 'The Dead Man’s Curve' - Vertical Mag

VERTICALMAG.COM

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There’s never a good time for an engine failure, but limiting your time in the “avoid” area of the height-velocity diagram increases your chances of a safe escape.

 

[onetrack]

I often wonder about what would happen when a chopper has an engine failure when doing aerial rescue, and the rescued person and a crew member are on the winch. I would guess this is the reason most rescue choppers are turbine.

 

But the bottom line is, you're only going one direction, when you forget to fuel up.

 

Edited December 11, 2025 by onetrack

[BrendAn]

6 hours ago, Thruster88 said:

Slinging a human under a piston single engine helicopter operating in the "dead man's curve" probably should not be approved. 

 

Understanding 'The Dead Man’s Curve' - Vertical Mag

VERTICALMAG.COM

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There’s never a good time for an engine failure, but limiting your time in the “avoid” area of the height-velocity diagram increases your chances of a safe escape.

 

But that is what rescue choppers do all the time.

[onetrack]

Matt Wright has been sentenced to 10 mths in jail, suspended after 5 mths served, after being found guilty on two counts of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. He was placed on a good behaviour bond for a further 2 years.

 

He was also fined $5000 for lying to police in relation to the amount of fuel in the crashed helicopters fuel tank. The tank was empty, but Wright told NT Police there was still fuel in it, when he first arrived at the crash site.

 

The judge also commented about Wrights company Helibrook, disobeying aviation safety requirements as regards logging correct hours run in its helicopters.

He stated it was likely the crashed helicopter had exceeded its 2,200 hr time to overhaul limit, as a result of hour meters being disconnected when being operated - a "system" that Wright claimed was widespread in the helicopter industry.

 

Just claiming the "hour-meter-doctoring" system was widespread thoughout the helicopter industry, is not a valid, nor even a logical response.

 

I can recall at least one helicopter crash in W.A. where the pilot/owner was killed due to rotor failure, caused by ignoring the rotor overhaul time limit. The investigation proved that the crashed helicopter had accumulated a lot more hours than the hour meter read, because the investigators went through the helicopters fuel purchase/consumption records, and the helicopters fuel use did not jell with the hour meter reading, at the time of the crash.

 

Outback Wrangler star Matt Wright sentenced to 10 months’ jail after fatal helicopter crash | Northern Territory | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

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Reality TV star jailed for trying to cover up evidence after the 2022 crash that killed co-star Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson

 

[facthunter]

It's a well known fact and how do you compete with those who do it?.  Nev

 

[Thruster88]

On 12/12/2025 at 10:55 AM, BrendAn said:

But that is what rescue choppers do all the time.

They have two turbine engines. They can fly on one engine in most cases.

[BrendAn]

31 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

They have two turbine engines. They can fly on one engine in most cases.

Didn't think of that