Outback Wrangler sued by families over airboat crash
Reality TV star Matt Wright might have trouble tapping his insurance policy following an airboat crash that injured passengers in crocodile country, a court has been told.
At least three couples and their children are suing Wright and his wife Kaia over the May 2023 crash, claiming they suffered physical and psychological harm.
Reality TV star Matt Wright. Neve Brissenden/AAP
The airboat is alleged to have crashed at speed into a riverside tree, throwing more than a dozen passengers violently forward, with one woman suffering severe head injuries and another a serious leg injury.
The crash happened at Sweets Lagoon, about 120km southwest of Darwin, near the safari camp owned by Wright, the star of Outback Wrangler, and his wife
Ryan and Philippa Payne and Scott and Bianca McFarlane and their children are seeking damages, including aggravated and exemplary damages, from the Wrights and their company, Top End Safari Camp.
The Paynes, from NSW, and the McFarlanes, from Queensland, have filed lawsuits in the Federal Court accusing the Wrights of negligence, claiming they engaged in unconscionable conduct in breach of consumer laws.
Amelia-Kate and Gregory Potts are also suing the Wrights in the Northern Territory Supreme Court but the couple could decide to join the Federal Court action.
The Wrights reject any negligence on the part of themselves, their businesses or employees.
Justice Michael Lee in the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday indicated he wanted legal actions over the crash brought together into one case.
The matter could then go to a trial of no more than two days early in 2027, he said, scheduling a pre-trial hearing for December 2.
Matthew Harvey KC, acting for Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd, said one issue the court needed to resolve was whether the incident occurred where the marine insurance act applied.
A further issue was whether the illegality exclusions in the insurance policy applied, he told the court.
“One of the issues that will need to be determined by the court is the question of liability,” Harvey said.
There could not be pre-trial agreement about liability because of the consequences for the insured, he said.
The Wrights reject any negligence on the part of themselves, their businesses or employees. Instagram
“The insured can’t accept liability, if it does then we can elect not to follow through on the policy.”
Lee said he as judge would have to conclude on the relevant facts whether or not the insurance policy exclusion applied due to the commission of an offence.
The airboat incident followed a fatal helicopter crash in February 2022 involving one of Wright’s machines.
The crash in Arnhem Land killed Outback Wrangler co-star Chris “Willow” Wilson and left pilot Sebastian Robinson a paraplegic.
Wilson had been slung on a line below the helicopter to drop onto crocodile nests and collect eggs when it crashed.
Wright was charged with three counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following the crash, accused of tampering with evidence.
He was found guilty by a jury on two counts in August 2025 and served five months in prison.
The prosecution did not allege Wright was responsible for the crash, Wilson’s death or Robinson’s injuries.
– AAP
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