Helicopter pilot disconnected flight-time meters before Outback Wrangler star’s death, court hears

<p>Jock Purcell tells court there were ‘more than 10 times’ he didn’t fill out a maintenance release form after flying one of Matt Wright’s helicopters. Wright has pleaded not guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/aug/11/news-live-netanyahu-shameful-palestine-state-anthony-albanese-penny-wong-meteor-victoria-marles-papua-new-guinea-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>A helicopter pilot disconnected flight-time meters and did not properly fill out paperwork for reality TV star Matt Wright in the lead-up to a fatal crash on a crocodile egg-collecting mission, a court has been told.</p><p>Jock Purcell gave evidence in the supreme court in Darwin on Monday in the jury trial of the Outback Wrangler star, who has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/11/outback-wrangler-court-helicopter-pilot-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>