A 44-year-old man has been charged with conspiracy and evidence offences over a Northern Territory helicopter crash which claimed the life of a cast member of Matt Wright's National Geographic's Outback Wrangler show.
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The man was detained on Wednesday for questioning then charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, destruction of evidence and providing a false statement in a statutory declaration.
He has been granted police bail to appear in Darwin Local Court on October 19.
The father-of-two's body was found 40 metres from the main wreckage at the King River crash site, a preliminary Air Transport Safety Bureau report revealed in April.
He was attached to a line using a harness so he could harvest eggs from difficult-to-access crocodile nests in swampy areas while the helicopter hovered above.
The crashed helicopter was one of three involved in collecting eggs on the day. It was found by one of the other crews after failing to respond to radio calls.
He leaves behind his wife Danielle and two young sons, Ted, 4, and Austin, 1.
Pilot Sebastian Robinson was also seriously injured in the incident and was airlifted to Maningrida, before being transferred to hospital in Darwin.
Outback Wrangler presenter Matt Wright previously said "his family and team (were) absolutely devastated by the tragic accident".
"(They) are heartbroken by the loss of their best friend and highly respected colleague Chris 'Willow' Wilson," said a statement issued by The Fordham Company a day after the crash.
A preliminary ATSB analysis of the site indicated the accident happened when the helicopter's main rotor blade struck and cut through a tree trunk multiple times before the aircraft hit the ground.
Initial assessments indicated the engine had stopped prior to the helicopter hitting the ground.
An examination found no defects likely to cause the engine to stop and there was no visible damage to the tail rotor blades and drive system.
Outback Wrangler is an adventure TV series filmed in remote Top End locations that airs in more than 90 countries.
The show chronicles the capture and transport of dangerous animals that pose a threat to people, including crocodiles and wild buffalo.
Australian Associated Press
