A helicopter crash in the Northern Territory which killed a Netflix star was likely caused by the aircraft running out of fuel, Australia’s transport safety watchdog has found.
Outback Wrangler star Chris “Willow” Wilson was killed when a Robinson R44 helicopter carrying him from a sling line plummeted to the ground near the NT’s King River on February 28 last year.
The pilot Sebastian Robinson was seriously injured, but survived.
The helicopter was being used for the collection of crocodile eggs in remote parts of the outback.
An investigation from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) found the chopper’s engine stopped in flight, likely due to fuel exhaustion.
The ATSB found the pilot released the hooks and sling line carrying Mr Wilson beneath the helicopter during the emergency landing procedure.
Mr Wilson was thus dropped from a height that was not survivable, ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
The ATSB investigation found the helicopter the helicopter was likely not refuelled at a depot “about three quarters” of the way between Darwin and the area where they were collecting eggs.
Mr Mitchell said it was likely the pilot did not identify the reducing fuel state before the helicopter’s engine stopped due to fuel exhaustion.
“This accident illustrates the importance of effective fuel management, which is especially critical when operating a helicopter where a fuel-related power loss offers few safe options,” he said.
Mr Mitchell said the investigation found that the operator was not using its safety management system to systematically identify and manage operational hazards.
“As a result, the operator did not adequately address the risks inherent in conducting human sling operations, such as carriage of the egg collector above a survivable fall height,” Mr Mitchell said.
“In addition, and although not assessed on the evidence as having been contributory to this accident, the operator’s history of noncompliance with regulatory requirements, maintenance standards and accurate record keeping, increased the risk level for much of their aviation activities.”
The fatal crash has resulted in Mr Wilson’s co-star Matt Wright being hit with seven charges, including perverting the course of justice and destroying evidence.
The helicopter was operated by Wright’s company, Helibrook.
Mr Wright has “strenuously” denied any wrongdoing.
Two other people – pilot Michael Burbridge and police officer Neil Mellon – are also facing charges over the crash.
The egg collection used a device issued to the operator by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) allowing the pilot to carry Mr Wilson from a sling on a 100ft line.
The ATSB investigation found CASA “did not have an effective process for assuring an authorisation – the instrument issued to the operator – would be unlikely to adversely affect safety”.
“This resulted in removal of the instrument’s mitigating conditions limiting the height, speed and exposure for the sling person, which permitted carriage of the egg collector above a likely-survivable fall height,” Mr Mitchell said.