The shocking untold story of Matt Wright's case | SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

For years, Matt Wright was a global face of the Northern Territory, a reality TV star at the centre of a multi -million dollar empire.Tight -knit brotherhood operating on the absolute edge of survival.But in May 2026, the Outback Wrangler walked out of a Darwin prison cell into a completely different reality.

Walking out, I'm like a cat on a hot tin roof, wondering what's going to happen next.

In the summer of 2022, a chopper came down in West Arnhem Land in crocodile infested waters.The pilot was severely injured.

The egg collector lost his life.

But four years after the crash, the question of what actually caused the chopper to fall from the sky remains unsolved.The Australian Transport Safety Bureau conducted a forensic investigation into the mechanical cause of the crash, finding that the aircraft likely ran out of fuel mid -flight.But their findings carry no weight in the criminal courts.

The Northern Territory Police's investigation into the cause of the crash seems to have come to a halt.

But questions remain.Why has the police probe been shut down when there are still no official findings on what killed Chris Wilson?

Have you spoken to the family of Chris Wilson?Oi!

And why has there been no official finding into what actually caused the crash?Families, friends and industry veterans say the only hope left for truth is a full coronial inquest.

I want to know what happened to Christopher.

The documentary you're about to see was filmed with Matt and Kaia Wright in the Northern Territory over a six -month period.Thisis their story.Before the prison cell and the headlines, Life for the Rights was an ongoing mix of family and outback adventure.This exclusive footage inside their Darwin home captures a unique sanctuary, a quiet life away from the media storm.

Come around this side darling, the big turtles are over here.

A two hour drive away sits the commercial heart of that empire, the top end safari camp.It's a massive playground of airboats and crocodiles that once buzzed with international tourists, but has taken a sharp dive since the disaster.

This vision captures a family caught in a gruelling state of limbo.

These intimate scenes were filmed in the months leading up to right sentencing, when prison was a distinct impending reality.Domestic peace was operating on borrowed

Since the accident, there's been a lot of lives turned upside down, communities broken up and mateships destroyed.You know, with us, our family, it's been relentless.Definitely been tough, but I think with Kaya, myself and the kids, we hold a pretty strong united front and that's the way we're going to push through this.It's the only way we're going to get through it.

I just look back, you know, the day of the accident and how the emotions and, you know, the challenges from that just have not stopped.

To truly understand how this empire fractured, you have to go back to the single fatal afternoon that changed the Top End forever.In the searing summer of February 2022, one of three choppers on an egg collecting mission came crashing down into the swamps of West Arnhem Land.The pilot, Sebastian Robinson, was permanently paralysed in the crash.His egg collector, Chris Willow Wilson, who was suspended under the aircraft in a sling, was killed.

Flying out there and finding out that Willow had been killed was probably the toughest day of my life.I remember his hands sort of just sticking out the side of that bubble cover and he had his watch on and sat with him for a bit there and just didn't really know what to do or say.All the boys were in shock.Just so surreal.

Another pilot on the mission that day, Mick Burbage, was first on scene.

You know, Mick arrived there first and he had to deal with this.He had to find Willow dead.and place bubble cover over her and then, from my understanding, all the boys came looking for Burbs when he didn't show back up and he had explained to them and calmed them down, try and keep Seb alive, keep him comfortable before care flight.

Tell me about that, so you landed there.

Something no one needs to see, that's for sure.

You're seeing a couple of blokes you work with and care about and for my case, Willow was, um, sorry.

Verbs handled it very well and should be praised for saving Seb.

Look, I didn't know there was a crash at the time, but I was just, we'd moved from one little area and I hadn't heard anything on the radio, but they were doing three separate nests, so I thought, oh, maybe we just missed them.So we relocated to another area and I put the boys out.We started and I'm like talking to Crabb.I said, I haven't heard from those other guys.And so I pulled everyone off.I said, you guys stay here.

I'm going to go back and just see if I can find out what's going on.and I went back and I started backtracking so they had three separate nests to do and I went to their, what should have been their last nest, didn't find anything, went to the next nest and then obviously found what I found on the first nest.

He just wanted to see everyone do well.He just, I don't know, he had something about him and he's like a little brother to me.Yeah, he just, he had so many different friends and people and he just, he just come from a good, this shouldn't be this hard, hey?He come from a good family and to see someone like that just, just lying thereyou know, knowing he's never going to go, see his kids, parents, you know, his family.Pretty sad, eh?

The helicopter was owned by Wright's company, Hellybrook.Upon hearing of the tragedy, Wright flew directly to the remote crash site.He was joined by crocodile farming pioneer Mick Burns and Neil Mellon, an off -duty Northern Territory police officer.The Australian Transport Safety Bureau conducted an extensive investigation into the disaster.In its final report, the watchdog found the chopper likely crashed because of fuel exhaustion, causing the engine to stop mid -flight.Investigators determined the helicopter had likely not been refuelled at a remote depot as planned, and that the pilot did not identify the reducing fuel state before the engine stopped.

The ATSB investigation found that fuel samples taken from the helicopter did not match the fuel at the remote depot where it was due to be refuelled.This, along with other forensic evidence, led investigators to conclude it did not refuel there.Consequently, the aircraft ran out of fuel mid -flight.It is strictly not a function of the ATSB to apportion blame or determine liability.

Looking at all the evidence, not just the supportive evidence, because like anything, there's always going to be evidence that potentially doesn't support some hypothesis.When we look at all of that, we came very much to the conclusion that it had suffered fuel exhaustion, so it had run out of fuel.Firstly, the sequence of events.It fuelled up at the beginning of the day at Noonama, halfway to what would have been a refuelling site, and we know that the egg collector was flying at that particular time.They've landed down there at Mount Borrowdale.Our evidence would suggest that this helicopter, for whatever reason, was not refuelled there.

Then they've taken off to do their egg collection, and helicopters have gone in different directions, and at some point there, most likely,around that 922 mark, the helicopter has reached fuel exhaustion.The sequence of events there that the egg collector was released off the line at a height not likely to be sustainable.The pilot has sustained really catastrophic injuries.

Despite the Aviation Watchdog's focus on the mechanical and fuel data, a massive parallel police investigation turned its lens directly onto the men who flew to the rescue in the hours after the crash.Burbage, who was first on scene, as well as Wright and Mellon, who arrived later, became the focus.

What did you do at the crash site, Mr Wright?

Wright was accused of attempting to obstruct the investigation into the crash.He was convicted on two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following a month -long trial in August last year.The jury did not return a verdict on a third count after becoming deadlocked and unable to reach a unanimous decision.In count one, the jury found Wright lied to police during an interview about how much fuel he thought was in the chopper.Count two related to him visiting the critically injured pilot in the hospital in the aftermath of the crash.

Jury found he'd asked Robinson to alter helicopter records.

Mellon was sentenced to eight months behind bars to be suspended after three, after pleading guilty to a string of offences, including destroying evidence related to the crash.The destruction of evidence charge was related to the disposal of the mobile phone that belonged to Wilson.Mellon unzipped Wilson's vest, removed the phone and gave it to Burbage, who destroyed it, believing it contained information Wilson's wife, Danielle, would not like to know.The other charges were for a series of unrelated offences.Burbage pleaded guilty to one count of destroying evidence for disposing of Wilson's phone.He was fined $15 ,000.

Look, I'm a big boy.I did, in accordance with the law, I did the wrong thing.I ended up, I pled guilty over a mobile phone.I thought I was doing the right thing.

Mr Burbage, how are you feeling ahead of today's proceedings?

As the legal warfare escalated, Kaia foundpregnant with the couple's third child.Matt was hit with a sudden cancer scare.

I even got one of my nuts ripped out with testicular cancer last year.Within three or four days, I was in Sydney.Got one of my plums pulled out.And that was it.

While the criminal investigation focused heavily on the aftermath of the crash, questions remain.

Is there anything you'd like to say about the allegations at all?

Why did the active probe into the actual cause of the crash suddenly stop?

What was meant to be an investigation into the cause of the crash turned into an investigation into Matt Wright.that provided no answers as to the cause of the crash.But what's infuriating following the trial is we all sort of thought there'd be some sort of flow on justice or flow on answers provided.An investigation would continue into the crash and it just does not seem that that is happening and it's not.It's not a want for anyone else to suffer.It's actually a want for the truth to be out there.

In sentencing Wright over his actions in the aftermath of the crash, Acting Chief Justice Alan Blow said he believed there was fuel in the tank when the helicopter's engine stopped.The Crown Prosecutor submitted that jurors should be comfortably satisfied that the downed helicopter did not crash because it ran out of fuel.Kaya Wright has studied the ATSB report inside out, desperate to understand the technical data and why the chopper went down.Despite the findings of the court, she's adamant that an empty fuel tank was the most likely cause of the crash.

There's no other option, like the fuel system.The fuel lines were completely bone dry.The cowling, so the engine covers, they had no signs of leaking or staining that would indicate any fuel leaking before, like prior to, or after the crash.The fuel control unit was completely bone dry.The tanks of IDW, they got sent away and they were taken out.they didn't bulge.

Tanks bulge when they're full of fuel on impact, but IDWs didn't bulge.So that was sort of in line with tanks that have, you know, little or no fuel in them.There was no fuel leak.So the transmission deck, which sits below the fuel lines or where you do your fuel drain, there was no leaking or staining.The colour of the fuel, At Matt's hangar and at the shack, which is where it's more than likely that they actually fuelled up, there was blue fuel.At Mount Borrowdale, where they were meant to fuel up, there was green fuel.

And 250ml of unusable fuel was drained from the tank of RDW and that fuel was blue.If they'd filled up at Mount Borroedale, it would have been green.

The Care Flight first responder reported that there was no smell or indication of fuel at the scene.

There's no signs of leaking.There would have been fuel on Willow.There would have been a smell.There would have been, you know, evidence of fuel somewhere.Where did it go?176 litres, which is a full tank of fuel.

If they filled up at Mount Borroedale, there's a lot of fuel to leak out of a helicopter in a 30 to 40 minute time frame.If it leaked out, it would have exploded, it would have combusted.The helicopter would have blown up in the air.There'd be leaking, there'd be marks, there'd be signs.There was nothing.

Police or the DPP taking the stance that the ATSB report is somehow incorrect.If that's the case and it's incorrect and the fuel exhaustion was caused by no fuel, well tell me what it is because I want to know what killed my mate.It's not about Matt Wright and Seb Robinson.I want to know what happened to Christopher.

Crocodile wrangler Matt Wright has been sentenced to a minimum five months jail for attempting to pervert the course of justice.Wright was found guilty in August over his actions following a helicopter crash that killed his friend and Netflix co -star Chris Wilson.

It's been two months since Matt Wright was sent to prison.We're back at the family home with Kaya, now heavily pregnant and counting the days until his release.She has already explained to her eldest child, Banjo, why his father is away.

The day that we came back from Matt getting taken away, I just pulled Ban straight into the room and I was like, hey, mate, can you come see mum in the room?And he kind of came in with me and I was like, they've sent dad off to jail.And I said, but it's really good news.It's like not for that that long a time, mate, and he'll be home in five months.

The children speak to their dad over the phone, but the calls are strictly timed.

You've got one minute left, Banjo.Dad's going to ask you which animals to research, Angel.Here, hold that.Tell Dad what you're building.That's pretty cool.

I'm building...Hey, Dad.I'm building a really big castle.I don't want to make any...

Oh, Banjo, he's telling you about the...

Oh, yeah.

It's hard because you want to speak out and share how you feel and share that it obviously is hard but the hardest thing is not us feeling sorry for ourselves, the hardest thing is always having this sense of injustice.Every single letter talks about I just can't believe that no one's been held accountable for Willow's death and that the focus has just been on me.He just must lament over that injustice all the time.Yeah it's hard for us but obviously there's so many people that it's affected it's hard for lots of people but sometimes it's frustrating because it feels like are we the only ones that are wanting to push for more to be done about this investigation and things that were and weren't done.Someone's got an opinion or a story about you and it just is how it is so you've got to learn how to be as normal as you can in that chaos and I think when he comes out it's going to be the chaos is still going to be there and we just have to stay strong and true to ourselves and move through it.People have very strong opinions about Matt.

Sometimes I don't quite understand why.Maybe he's been portrayed in a certain way or skewed in a certain way and they're so strong.People are like, he should be hung up by a noose and he's this and he's that and he's all of these things and it's like...how has society turned out to be this way like how do we all just criticize people and go about it's shocking to me going through this and feeling and experiencing the absolute worst of humanity and bullying and finger pointing and like teardowns and all those things it just makes me want to retreat as far away from humanity as possible and raise my kids and my family in just a protected setting where they're connected to nature and people and community and things that matter.

I'm just about to give birth and my mental health and the safety of the baby and Matt's mental health and our children's is being really messed around by these last minute decisions and changes.It's just very overwhelming.

This is Kaya days before going into labour, shattered at the realisation that her husband will miss the birth of their baby.She's pleading for answers from corrections authorities.

I just don't think that the bigger picture of our mental health is being considered in any of this.There's just so much to take on all the time.

I hope there is some sort of push and justice for Willow's death and that people ask the questions.The evidence is there, the ATSB report's there.Definitely the showing of our story is to shed light on how hard it's been, but to invite everyone to be kinder.I really hope there will be some sort of justice for Willow and that, you know, a proper investigation will be conducted.

So we've just picked up our car and we're on our way to Matt and Kaya's house.Matt's been out of jail now for about a month and Kaya has the newborn baby.He was born 11 years ago.before Matt's release so Matt missed the birth so we'll see what he's got to say about that and how he feels and what's changed for him since his stint in jail.

So now the trial's done, Matt's served his time, I've had this desire just to go bullet a gate, let's get the truth out.and wanted to just sort of bring everything that we had to light, get answers.You know, every time we talk about this, you know, there's keyboard warriors out there who are like, stop deflecting, like, stop focusing on that.Like, Matt is this, Matt is that.But I just want an answer as to why.

All the evidence is there.All they need is someone with common sense to look at it.And I'm sure ATSB have got common sense, but have they looked at that?

This is Milton Jones, another prominent figure watching the fallout.He's a legendary territory cattleman and fixture of the crocodile egg industry.Jones trained many of the top end pilots, including Robinson.After analysing the official ATSB report finding, Jones remains deeply sceptical of what he says is the state's narrow focus.

And, you know, no one's won out of it.No one's won at all.

Now that's using every bit of my strength to hold this crocodile.She's trying to take away the crate.I'm not going to let her have the crate.

So you think that investigation should still be ongoing?

Absolutely.I want to know.Willow's parents want to know.You know, it's a huge business for us and we keep it as safe as we can.You know, this is the most terriblest accident that's ever happened.I was the one that started the sling on the ring on the nest.

You know, we did it right from the word go.We designed it.We started doing it.We started in little 22 helicopters.So I have got an interest in it.I do follow it.

And this has not been done right.Far from being right.

This is Ty Mudcrab Richardson, the third pilot flying the mission that fateful afternoon.He says the Tightknit Brotherhood has never been the same since the tragedy and the loss of their dear mate.

Pretty good team and then yes, Ebbie's cut off to himself I suppose.We're all still pretty close, you know, people just go different ways.I was down around seeing him and I don't know how long that was for.I was out mustering one day and he just said to me, that I seen him refuel and I just said I honestly didn't see refuel.

Inside the courtroom, Wright was painted as the powerful corporate standover man who bullied his young pilots and systematically cheated flying records just to protect his bottom line.Outside of court, Katie Parnell from the Hellybrook finance team paints a different picture.

Yeah, quite eye -opening sitting in that courtroom and hearing things come out and just knowing full well that that wasn't either the whole story or that wasn't the truth of what happened and yeah, been wondering why.It was able to be put forward in such a piecemeal way.There was a lot of talk about how the relationship wasn't good and how, you know, Matt was this big standover man and the relationship was really bad with him and Sebastian and I just don't, that was not my experience at all.

The jury heard Wright had not covered any of the pilot's medical expenses and that he was unable to access workers' compensation.Robinson's mother told the court that Wright had offered her family $10 ,000 to help with their bills during his first visit on March 11.The family declined the offer, saying we told him we didn't want it.

There was a lot of assistance given to Sebastian, the way I see it, as a young guy starting out in the industry.And I think Matt helped him quite a lot.There was also the payments that we made to him just after the accident.There was some that were business related, and then there was just personal payments.A payment that, in particular, that I'm thinking of, that Matt made personally to Seb, just as a gesture of goodwill like just he was his mate and he was in a bad way and he still had business expenses and.We would assume medical expenses and so there was a payment made with no expectation of repayment.

It was just purely a gift to help him because he was in a very bad way.It was a very tight -knit group of friends.It was a real family.

Another key part of the trial was a series of secret recordings, later released by the court, that captured Wright's own words in the days and weeks after the crash.The recordings pull back the curtain on the frantic, deeply personal fallout after the tragedy.They capture a man venting behind closed doors, often emotional, sometimes intoxicated, discussing with his wife and friends details as they came to light.

There was no weight in it.

No weight in it, yeah.

Half fuel.Well, that's what it looked like was in the tank.I went and looked in the tanks and that's what we could see.

In your estimation, how much fuel was left there?

How are you doing?

Very sad.

Okay, so I just wanted to touch base with you guys after the secret recordings have been released this week.I'd kind of like to probably, now that they're out there, want to know your point of view and what you say about them or what they show about the days after the crash and where your mindset was out then.

Three days after the accident, I'm doing a statement to the police.They're like, in your estimation, how much should be, how much fuel should be in the helicopter?Well, in my estimation, I'll fly on that route hundreds of times.And if I was out there, I should be half a tank, if not a bit more.So looking into a tank that's dark, which I said I could see a shimmer, I'm not lying to the cops in any way, saying there was a shimmer.In my estimation, there should be half a tank.

I don't know.I don't know if there was fuel in there.But if there was actual fuel in there, I'm guessing I probably would have seen a level of fuel.but it was black.I saw a shimmer and that was it.So all these recordings that everyone's going on a big hype about and they're releasing these, these recordings, none of it is all taken out of context.

Number one, the media at the moment is still throwing and muddying the water.Look at the facts, everyone.The bulls**t we've copped, we've copped bombs blowing up our our meter boxes, people committing suicide, like it's just, it's just madness what's happened through this whole investigation.He punched Willow at a hundred foot.

He killed it.He killed it, mate.That hasn't come out yet.But it will.Now I don't want a **** savvy in it, but I'm not going to **** get put in the clink because if he's down for it, anyone that knows how to fly.You know the consequences of what happens when you punch someone off and draw inside the arse.

That's pretty much what's happened.

The court also released recordings of Matt and Kaya discussing what could have caused the crash before the ATSB report had been released.They spoke about the fuel line, but say their comments were taken out of context.In March 2022, the engine was torn down by aviation investigators in front of ATSB representatives and other experts.The fuel line was found to be 1 .5 turns loose.Wright is recorded saying, I think it was the fuel line.He says his comments were in the absence of anything else making sense as to why the engine stopped.

He later learned an investigator had loosened the fuel line as part of the investigation after the accident.Wright says that there are other recordings which show the couple's reaction to this new information, but they have not been publicly reported.Recordings that reference paperwork and there's stories that have come out about you trying to, you know, force Seb to change his paperwork.and things like that.

I never forced Seb to do anything.I was trying to help Seb.I was trying to help his mum get workers comp, get everything sorted.Seb, get your paperwork in order.This is the biggest thing everyone missed.It wasn't my chopper, it was his helicopter that he hadn't filled out his maintenance release for nearly three months up until the accident.

And I saw it and his mum had the maintenance release.And I'm like, That needs to be filled out.Here's what the boys have said that you've flown and mate, just get your paperwork in order.

The jury found Wright pressured Robinson to move a few hours from the crashed helicopter's records to his own personal chopper, but the injured pilot refused to do so.Wright's defence team argued his hospital visit was to ensure that Robinson's personal logbooks were up to date and Wright was authorised to do so as the company's heir operator certificate holder.Justice Blow said the visit to the young man's hospital bed was the worst possible time to put any pressure on him and said the celebrity had shown no remorse for his actions.Is that how you say that your recordings seem to change along as the time goes on and what's been, you know, convicted of a lie, is you changing because you're getting new evidence and your opinion is changing what you're saying?

You go and record someone's house for six months and listen to every one of their phone calls.During an extremely stressful time.I'm sure you're going to cherry pick a few things out of there that you don't want to hear.And especially, I'm sinking a bottle of whiskeys most nights.And I'm on the phone venting to other pilots going, this is what's happened.This is ****.

Bull**** is what I'm finding out.Like, I was dumbfounded.

Whether or not the chopper had fuel at the time of the accident has been fiercely contested, both among the fractured brotherhood and with legal eagles on opposing sides.Robinson has no idea.memory of the crash, but is adamant the helicopter did not run out of fuel.Timothy Luck, the pilot of the third chopper on the mission, testified in court that he was 100 % sure that he refueled the chopper at Mount Borrowdale.However, the ATSB's physical investigation found that no fuel pump was available to Luck to use at the site and that other witness statements directly contradicted his account.The ATSB concluded that considering the relatively greater strength of the technical evidence, the helicopter was probably not refuelled at Mount Borrowdale.

In Wright's trial, though, Acting Justice Blow said he accepted Luck's evidence.

We know that the pilot, for instance, doesn't have any recollection of that particular flight or that particular time.Quite tragically, obviously, the air collector passed away in the accident so we couldn't get from him but we did have a number of other people there from the person who rolled out the fuel tanks and they were very certain around which ones that they rolled out and then rolled back again because it was the last fueling of the season.We also know obviously the chemical analysis but we had different witnesses give different differing statements there as well.And some of them we know couldn't be true.And again, it's not that people lie.It's just human nature that people sometimes recall things differently, sometimes record it wrong.

So we do heavily rely on physical evidence.And in this case, the testing of the fuel was one of them.

On top of the criminal charges, Wright and his company, Helibrook, were criticised by air safety investigators for unsafe practices.Helibrooke's approved safety management system was not being used to systematically identify and manage operational hazards.As a result, risks associated with conducting human external cargo operations, such as carriage of the egg collector above a survivable fall height, were not adequately addressed.Following the accident, Helibrooke, Wright's company, advised the ATSB it had ceased operation and that their helicopter fleet was being sold.Wright, the chief executive officer and chief pilot,was no longer involved with the operation.

Crucially, the ATSB declared the unsafe practices were not a contributing factor to the cause of the crash.The watchdog found that while some maintenance practices were identified as increasing risk, they were unlikely to have caused stoppage of the engine.

Whilst people quite easily would sit back and look at one part of the evidence where fuel light comes on, therefore it couldn't have occurred that way.Well, You've got to look at things in context, of what's being done at the time, what are the other pressures.

The ATSB investigation found other factors that increased risk, including the presence of cocaine metabolites in the pilot's blood sample, indicating the pilot had been exposed to cocaine within the previous few days and increasing the likelihood of fatigue, depression and inattention.

To also find out that there was cocaine derivatives in the pilot's blood and my stance on drugs has been pretty strong.Not having any of my guys do them and to find this out has blown me away.

During cross -examination in rights trial, Robinson said he was aware that cocaine traces had been found in his blood after the accident.He told the court he had no recollection of the weeks prior.The Senior Defence Council read out texts extracted from Robinson's mobile phone by police, detailing regular exchanges with friends about the supply of cocaine.During intense cross -examination, Robinson denied supplying drugs but admitted to sourcing small amounts of cocaine for friends in the years before the fatal crash.

It very rarely, I think, our reports bring closure because they're not going to do that.And they're designed to make sure that things in future are safer.We have to understand what occurred, but it's there not to put people in jail or not to attribute blame, but it's also not to shy away from it.the evidence.We are no blame and it's in the legislation, no blame.And that means it can't be used for prosecution, et cetera.

But we do have to outline the facts and the facts based on the evidence.You've got a lot of people with very strong opinions.I guess we're slaves to the evidence.And that's what's in our report.

Industry veterans have joined the rights in calling for a coronial inquiry where all the evidence, including the ATSB report, can be laid on the table.Mick Jacoby, a former egg collector and friend and neighbour of Willow, said he too wants the probe into the cause of the crash to continue, especially given that Robinson has no memory of the crash.

If he can't tell us and no one else was there, Willow can't tell us.The next best thing we've got to go on is the ATSB report.

So it goes from the ATSB report determining the cause of the crash, not being able to be tendered in a criminal trial, plus information we've received during the trial that we want to use to bring the truth to light.I'm now told we're not allowed to share that in the public domain because that's also protected.

It's not the only piece of the puzzle hidden from you.The rights hold a trove of other explosive documents that, for now, cannot be shown to the public.

We can't use the information we have obtained that shows certain things.We can't get it out there.So it's like you feel like you're back at square one and you have to start conducting your own in -place investigation.And you want to say, we've got all this information, but you can't.use it.There are people out there that know what has transpired in the days and the hours leading up to the crash and I don't believe that's ever been investigated and people now are too scared to speak up.

I can't stress enough that I don't want any more blood or any more hurt from this, I just want an answer as to why.Privately give us an answer as to why.Please stop ignoring us.I know you've contact of the Northern Territory Police asking for answers and we just we get nowhere.

In June we again reached out to the Northern Territory Police Department requesting an interview with one of the lead investigators.In a written response the Northern Territory Police Force said the NTPF can confirm that the criminal investigation into the crash and the conduct that followed has concluded with no further charges laid.A brief has been supplied to the NT coroner.

The statement explained that the reason for so many different squads to be involved in the investigation was the remote location of the crash and the fact that there was so much complex contradictory evidence.

In relation to the ATSB report finding that the chopper likely ran out of fuel and whether the Northern Territory Police investigation came to the same conclusion, the NT police said, a brief has been supplied to the NT coroner.It would be inappropriate to comment while the investigation is underway.We have been told by the courts that no decision has been made on whether or not a coronial inquest will be held.We've made several attempts to contact Sebastian Robinson, but he has not responded.We've also reached out to Chris Wilson's wife through her lawyer and directly, but no response has been forthcoming.

I mean, if people want to really know for themselves, It's the court documents are public, go and read the court documents, go and read the ATSB report and form your own opinion.

Would it feel better if you understood why?I know you've both said before, it's not so much that you want someone to pay, but you just want to know the why.

Yeah, I think for everyone, I think for all of Willow's close friends in our community, everyone wants to know why.It's hard enough as friends for us to speak out, you know, family, it's absolutely horrific and you don't, Yeah, it's not nice.It's not nice.And so it is confronting and it is absolutely heartbreaking to have to keep reliving this trauma.I understand why.people don't want to go public or to speak about it, but I feel like Matt and I, knowing what we know, are in a position where we need to, and to try to get the answers to these questions that we have.

I try to help as much as I could, give them as much information, offer to take them back to places and do things.Yeah, it's just like, I know there's this big dramatic two sides of the story, but it's not, it's about Christopher.the police or the DPP taking the stance that the ATSB report is somehow incorrect.If that's the case and it's incorrect and the fuel exhaustion was caused by no fuel, you're saying that's not what it is.Well, tell me what it is because I want to know what killed my mate.It's not about Matt Wright and Seb Robinson.

I want to know what happened to Christopher.It's that simple.

What do you think Willow would think of all this?

I'd be pissed.I'd be dead set pissed.I'd be like, what is wrong with you idiots?You know, like, just move on.Get along.I believe if you're investigating something, you should investigate it with both eyes open and follow it all the way down whatever rabbit hole you think it may go.

And that's what your mate would want?

Yeah, that's what Christopher would want.He'd want everyone to move on too.

Walking out, I'm like a cat on a hot tin roof.wondering what's going to happen next and then seeing Kaya because I hadn't I didn't know that Kaya had sterling at that time you know I was a little bit hesitant walking out but it was it was pretty quiet at six o 'clock in the morning it was great.Kaya walked out of the shadows there andshe's holding a little baby.I was like, whoa, when did that happen?I only spoke to you a couple of days ago, so it was fantastic.

Very surreal moment.The end of the day, shouldn't have gone in, but it is what it is and we'll keep fighting, keep moving forward.

You go this way.It's okay.It's actually kind of insane looking back.Like I gave birth and all I could think was, okay, I've got him now.

All right, let's go, let's go.

You got Matt, like, it's like running errands.I've got the baby, check me out.The whole thing Matt and I wanted to achieve was like that family moment of unity of us all being together and Matt seeing the kids meet Sterling for the first time.So then I was like, oh, I don't want to stay overnight in hospital, but I have to because I've got a gatekeep.Stirling from Boundary Park Dusty.So then I moved to the ward and then they signed me out early at 5am and I did all my paperwork.

Doors opened and I saw Matt walking towards us.Yeah, I couldn't quite believe it.And he didn't know Stirling had been born because he thought I was picking him up at 6am and we're going to hospital to get induced.So I was wobbling over and there was floodlights.in Matt's face so he couldn't see and then yeah I think there's a recording you can hear Liam say oh there's a baby.

Like a little semi baby.You're so big for four weeks Sterling.It's not normal.

All you do is eat.Eat, eat, eat.

And like he still just didn't believe that he was yeah he was getting out because we just have had so many setbacks andso many games well that's how it has felt to us um so yeah it was to finally have him there and to be together and to come home and have that moment with Banjo and Dusty and Matt and Sterling and myself all together again.Yeah, it was a relief.

The Wright's new imprisonment sentence was a distinct, terrifying possibility due to the seriousness of the charges against him.The maximum penalty for attempting to pervert the course of justice in the NT is 15 years in jail.Wright was found guilty on two counts.But when the judge finally handed down the verdict, the reality hit with a brutal finality.It was an aggregated sentence of two years imprisonment to be suspended after serving a mandatory five months strictly behind bars.

Well, I don't think anyone's ever ready for something like that, but Kyra and I did speak about it, like it was a reality, and spoke to the lawyers, and, you know, we're pretty certain that there's a good chance that I was going away for a little while.A lot of air up here.Look at your face.Right.Come on then, let's go.

I just remember looking at him and just, like, mouthing, I love you, and him just getting taken away.

Did you tell Scott Duncan at all?

told Banjo, I didn't tell Dusty, she was still sort of too young to understand.She started off when she first started visiting the jail, she used to say, Crocodiles in here.So I think she used to think it was like Matt's work.And then at the end of the visits, Dusty started saying, Daddy's airport, which is really interesting, because when you go to jail, you have to scan in and go through security like an airport.So yeah, it's interesting how kids process.I mean, she was only three to start with.

So it started with lots of crocodiles in here.So she obviously thought dad was at work.And then um yeah moved to daddy's airport.

see delightful types inside.

For a man whose entire career was built on the endless open horizons of the outback, swapping the wilderness for a cell was a brutal shock to the system.

Didn't really know what to expect.No, no expectations.Just figured I'll take it as it comes.You know, the bosses came down the first couple of days and said, look, this is where we're at.We don't really know where to put you.And in the end, I end up down this section and there's like one area there of sort of mentally unstable people.

all on medication.There's one fella serving like 40, he's been there 42 years, he's like the Hannibal Lecter of horrible person.Plenty odd guys in there, a few coppers that were pedophiles.The thing is that we're all in the same place, doing the same thing.No one really wants to step out of line because then they get moved out of there.One fella there, he was a hell's angel actually, and he got wrapped around the head with a fan motor.

They cornered him and and put a fan motor in a pillowcase and just come around and just smashed him in the ear.He was a big fella and he sort of held his ground but knocked the sense out of him and then the hierarchy moved him across.into our area.It was just a waste of time.Like you go in there, I know Kaya's busting her arse, she's trying to do things here, didn't achieve anything.Go in there and all I'm doing is just Groundhog Day.

No, I did a lot of writing.I wrote a children's book for Banjo and Dusty.I haven't quite finished about Ice Dragon and this unicorn for Dusty.I'm bloody 80 pages into it.Yeah, it's wild.I've got to get some illustration stuff happening.

But inside the wire, Wright was entirely cut off.Outside, a heavily pregnant Kai was suddenly left carrying the weight of the world, managing a fractured multi -million dollar empire, a massive legal defence and two toddlers completely alone.

Well, you know what?The day's nearly over.Time for a beer.

Are you allowed to do that with your wedding ring?Pardon?Are you allowed to do that with your wedding ring?Who's going to tell me off?While Wright attempts to shrug off the reality of his time inside, Kaya admits the psychological toll is devastating.

So often our conversations weren't, are you OK?What's going on?They were, I need to pay this bill.This is happening.What do I do about this?How do I?

You know, so it was just operation, survive and keep everything afloat as opposed to checking in.And then I'd hang up and realise, oh no, I can't talk to him again today.

I didn't even ask if it was okay, you know?

The worst days for Matt and I were when the Corrections Minister revoked Matt's early release on different occasions and each time at the 11th hour.We have no issue with Matt not getting released early, but the process was terrible.We were led down a garden path and encouraged to reapply for administrative home detention to then have it revoked all again and again.It just felt cruel and shattering to the kids' spirits.For me, it just felt... like a tactic to try and break us because we just couldn't make sense as to why it would happen.

He might have been locked away, but the driving side of Wright hasn't shifted down a gear.If anything, the experience has only fuelled his fire.Has it changed you, do you reckon?Changed me?

Don't think so.You know, it's just a waste of time.Slowed down a little bit.But no, not changing.We're just going to drive, drive a bit harder, get back onto it.Now, obviously the family's getting larger and we're going to spend a lot more time with the family than you do have to work and grind hard.

And so just back, back the businesses back and just concentrate on what's important, what we need to do, not what we have to do.

It's a brave front, but Kaia knows the truth is much more complicated.Do you feel like he's changed?I do.

And I can't quite put my finger on what.Matt's character is a stand up and fight for what's right kind of guy so I think it's definitely magnifying that part of his personality.I'm sort of a like okay it's done now let's just get on with our life but his stand up and fight has definitely worn off on me and I'm also committed to wanting to get the truth out there now but yeah if anything I think it's amplified those characteristics in him about speaking up and standing for the truth and not backing down.And yeah, I noticed when he came out, he didn't want to go out in public, and I think for anyone there'd be that level of social anxiety.Not so much caring what people think, but just wanting to protect and guard yourself a little bit and just knowing you've been draggedabsolute ringer and just not wanting to have people be like, hey, how are you?

Or have their opinion or ask questions.I think you've drained enough.So I get that.But yeah, he's all he wants to do is spend time with the family.That's his priority.I think he wishes he didn't have businesses and other cases and things.

He'd just like to be a dad, really.But yeah.life happens and we've got things we still have to work through.

The prison sentence is served, but the legal onslaught is barely scratching the surface.Wright has decided to drop his appeal against his criminal convictions due to the financial strain, but the Wrights are still facing multi -million dollar civil fights building in the background.Wilson's wife, Danielle, is suing Wright and the Civil Aviation Authority, as well as his now -insolvent company, Hellybrook, over her husband's death.

Another five -week case next year in Sydney, and I'm representing myself on that one.Yeah, yeah, well, Jesus, I've spent nearly two million bucks on fighting every other case.

The relentless legal crossfire has taken a massive toll on the Outback Wrangler brand.Wright's global television shows are on hold for now, and the family's sprawling territory tourism operations have faced a steep decline.

At the end of the day, it was a trial by media, it's a circus, but the family shouldn't suffer for any of it.

Now the Wrights are trying to pick up the pieces of their business while finding comfort in their newborn child.But as they juggle the legal wars and fight for answers about Willow's death, the shattering cost of the fatal crash remains a permanent shadow over everything that they do.

Yeah, it's all a blur, but it just makes you hone in on what matters, and that's your kids.So, yeah, so grateful to have kids and a young family through this, because if you didn't, it would be a completely different story.

They ground you and remind you what actually matters, and yeah, I think they're great.

also a lot of sadness in that because you know when you're a mum you're always reflecting on how precious your kids are and you know it's a reminder to what Willow's family's lost as well.He was a dad of two young kids.How much our kids missed their dad when he was in jail.How much Willow's parents would be missing their boy every day.You know it's been hard for everyone that's affected.everyone, and you do get reminded every day of the fragility of life, I think.