Controversial croc-wrangler Matt Wright loses bid to keep his pilot licence after fatal chopper crash probe

Outback Wrangler host Matt Wright has lost his bid to overturn a decision to strip him of his commercial helicopter pilot licence.

The Nightly revealed last year that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) had commenced enforcement action against Wright, following the NT chopper crash that killed his Netflix co-star Chris Wilson in 2022.

Wilson — who starred on reality television shows including Outback Wrangler and Wild Croc Territory — was killed when the helicopter he was slinging beneath crashed in a remote part of West Arnhem Land during a crocodile egg collecting mission.

Pilot Sebastian Robinson was critically injured and is now paraplegic.

The destroyed Robinson R44 Raven II, registered VH-IDW, was owned and operated by Wright and his company Helibrook.

Following investigations into the crash, CASA commenced enforcement action against six pilots including Wright.

Last November CASA cancelled Wright’s air transport and commercial helicopter pilot licences on “a number of basis including his disregard for civil aviation legislation and failure in his duty to provide safe navigation or operation of aircraft”.

But the celebrity croc-wrangler, whose commercial flying operations were a primary source of income, vowed to appeal CASA’s decision and get his licence back.

Last December, Wright filed a stay application in the Administrative Review Tribunal, which was heard a couple of months later.

Wright — who has more than 20,000 flying hours under his belt — argued the cancellation of his commercial pilot licence would cause him significant financial hardship as he would be unable to conduct flight instructing, mustering, sling work, aerial charter and tourist flights.

“The main issues Wright raised at the stay hearing was that CASA had not challenged his competence as a pilot,” the Tribunal summarised in its decision, obtained by The Nightly.

“He denied the allegations arising from the investigation into the fatal 2022 crash and characterised the remaining allegations as historical in nature, asserting that some pertain to record-keeping matters while others are consequential to the 2022 incident.

“He contended that if a stay was not granted, he would suffer financial hardship as he would be unable to continue his commercial business, which included flying guests to his resorts.”

CASA submitted that Wright’s compliance record, the lack of evidence to support financial hardship and his fitness to hold a licence all mitigated against the stay being granted.

CASA said that in deciding to cancel Wright’s licences, the regulator had taken into account Wright’s two prior Show Cause Notices in 2016 and 2018-19, the circumstances of the fatal 2022 crash, information obtained from that investigation, information elicited from footage of Wright’s television series, information from media reporting and information from the public.

The tribunal heard that CASA was satisfied Wright, based on the above and earlier disciplinary history, was “not a fit and proper person”.

Wright argued that if the stay was granted, any concerns for public safety could be managed by the imposition of conditions but the tribunal said it was “not so sanguine”.

In reasons published last week, the Tribunal refused Wright’s application to stay CASA’s decision, finding that any review of the regulator’s enforcement action was likely to fail.

Deputy President Kathryn McMillan KC said that she weighed competing factors including Wright’s prospects of success, the consequences of refusal, the public interest, his prior conduct and the potential safety risks.

“Whilst the Applicant is likely to suffer financial hardship upon stay refusal, this factor is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining aviation safety, particularly given the serious and ongoing nature of the risks posed by his conduct,” she wrote.

“The Applicant’s overall prospects in overturning the (licence) cancellation may be seen as unlikely given the history of safety breaches, the finding in 2018-19 that he was not a fit and proper person and the prior imposition of conditions on his licence.

She noted Wright’s “mere contrition was insufficient to demonstrate future compliance with high standards”.

The decision said “the gravity of the risk to others of continuing to allow the Applicant to fly commercially is high even if improbable”.

Ms McMillan found Wright’s conduct “constitutes some of the most grave that could be asserted against any licence holder from under-recording of an aircraft total time in service, attempted conspiracy to falsify maintenance records, hover entry/exit, tampering with equipment which meant flight time was not recorded and unlicensed flying by Mr Wilson”.

She also reasoned that granting Wright’s stay application might “undermine CASA’s ability to enforce aviation safety regulations and protect the public”.

The decision comes as Wright is due for sentencing in the NT Supreme Court on Friday after being found guilty on two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the fatal chopper crash.

On Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Meredith Huntingford released her decision on an appeal stemming from a no case submission made during Wright’s trial in August.

Wright’s defence barrister David Edwardson had argued his client was charged with the wrong offence and made a no case submission in the absence of the jury but Justice Huntingford sided with the Crown on both issues.

Wright also intends to appeal his guilty verdicts but no court dates have been set.