[Peetwo]

Willow Wilson's widow to sue CASA?? - 

Via the Oz:

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

By Kristen Shorten:



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.



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.



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.”



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.

Plus, via the ABC:

Widow of Outback Wrangler star Chris 'Willow' Wilson sues Matt Wright-owned Helibrook, CASA over fatal crash

By Jack Hislop


Danielle Wilson is suing over the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Chris "Willow" Wilson. (Supplied)

The widow of Outback Wrangler star Chris "Willow" Wilson is suing his co-star Matt Wright's helicopter company and Australia's aviation safety regulator over the chopper crash that killed her husband.

Key points:

• Chris "Willow" Wilson died in a helicopter crash during a crocodile egg-collecting mission in Arnhem Land in February 2022
  
• An ATSB investigation found the likely cause of the crash was fuel exhaustion
  
• Three men, including Matt Wright, are facing a string of charges over the incident
  

On Tuesday, Salerno Law managing partner Cliff Savala filed an application in the Federal Court on behalf of Danielle Wilson, regarding the 2022 crash in remote West Arnhem Land.

The application lists Mr Wright's helicopter company Helibrook and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) as respondents.

The ABC understands Ms Wilson is seeking damages, interest, costs, interest on costs and other orders as the court sees fit.

David Lloyd SC, a barrister who specialises in aviation cases, has been briefed as senior counsel on behalf of Ms Wilson.


Chris "Willow" Wilson starred in National Geographic's Outback Wrangler and Netflix's Wild Croc Territory.(Supplied)

Mr Wilson was killed when the Robinson R44 helicopter he was travelling in, which was operated by Helibrook, crashed during a crocodile egg-collecting mission on February 28 last year.

He died at the scene, while pilot Sebastian Robinson was seriously injured.

Mr Wilson was one of the stars of National Geographic TV series Outback Wrangler and Netflix show Wild Croc Territory. Both programs also starred Mr Wright.


Matt Wright is facing criminal charges over the crash.(ABC News: Tiffany Parker)

Last month, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released its final report into the crash, which found the helicopter had likely crashed due to fuel exhaustion, causing its engine to stop mid-flight.

It also found the chopper had likely not been refuelled at a fuel depot between Darwin and the crocodile egg collection area it had been travelling to, and that Mr Robinson had not identified the reducing fuel state.

Regarding Helibrook, the ATSB found the company had not been using its safety management system to identify and manage operational hazards at the time of the incident.

The ATSB said that had increased the risk of the helicopter experiencing a technical failure or malfunction, though there was no evidence it had contributed to the crash that killed Mr Wilson.

The report also found it was likely Helibrook had overrun the helicopter's maintenance, inspection and overhaul periods.

Findings were also made by the ATSB against CASA, around the use of slings on helicopters during crocodile egg-collecting missions.

It found CASA, in authorising pilots to sling a person beneath a helicopter, did not have "an effective process" for ensuring that authorisation would not adversely affect safety.


The helicopter crashed shortly after take-off in remote West Arnhem Land.(Supplied: Careflight)
Three men, including Mr Wright, are facing a string of offences over the fatal helicopter crash.

The charges against Mr Wright include attempting to pervert the course of justice, fabricating evidence and two counts of unlawful entry.

He was not aboard the helicopter when it crashed and has strenuously denied the allegations.

The Darwin Local Court will on Thursday hear a preliminary examination application regarding the criminal case against Mr Wright.

MTF...P2