Telling photo shows Outback Wrangler Matt Wright reacting amid fallout after bomb dropped in deadly helicopter crash… while his buddy shares foul-mouthed blast

Matt Wright has been pictured making a solemn appearance with loved ones, less than a week after an investigation into the crash that killed his friend was released.

The image of the Outback Wrangler sitting with his family next to a waterhole at Tipperary Station, about 200km south of Darwin, was posted to social media platform X by his friend on Saturday evening.

The photo was shared just days after the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released their findings into the deadly 2022 crash on Wednesday.

Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson was killed and pilot Sebastian Robinson injured after their helicopter crashed during a missing egg hunt in West Arnhem.

The aviation watchdog ruled that the pilot failed to refuel the plane, owned by Wright’s company Helibrook, causing the engine to stall in mid-air.

The investigation also found that Robinson’s blood samples contained low levels of cocaine, but added that there was insufficient evidence to determine whether he was affected at the time.

Wright gave his first sit-down interview about the deadly crash this weekend, revealing that he had received threats from the public that were so serious that he had been unable to mourn the loss of his friend.

The photo of Wright with his loved ones, which was shared with X, was accompanied by the caption: ‘Always a great day hanging with Matty… #f**kthehaters’.

“I didn’t care about haters. And I have enough. They don’t even exist in my world.’

While one social media user was confused by the “hashtag sentiment,” others rallied around Wright in a landslide of support for the former TV star.

“Those guys are amazing,” one user wrote.

“F**k the haters. Stay strong,” wrote a second.

Wright revealed that since the crash, his family had been subjected to vicious abuse, including death threats and vandalism at his other business – with one person having the power cut off to his home while his wife was in the house.

He said he has permanently distanced himself from his helicopter company Helibrook.

‘I sold the helicopters. I’m moving away from all that, I don’t want to go there anymore,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.

“I was publicly blamed for the death of my best friend, it’s just not worth it.”

Another social media user said he was glad Wright was “cleared” of wrongdoing for the crash.

Wright is charged with seven felonies on matters not directly related to the crash, including attempting to pervert the course of justice, destroying evidence, fabricating evidence, unlawful entry and obstructing witnesses.

The interview took place days after the Australian Transport Safety Bureau discovered the R44 helicopter (pictured), involved in the deadly February 2022 crash, had not refueled before taking off

Wright’s ‘best friend’ Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson (pictured), who was dangling from the helicopter by a 30-metre rope, was killed in the accident when the pilot released him during the emergency landing

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau ruled last week that pilot Robinson failed to refuel Wright’s company plane, causing the engine to suddenly stop.

The investigation revealed that the helicopter’s engine stopped mid-flight and the pilot released the hooks and sway line during the emergency landing.

The height of the release, which was above nine metres, was “unlikely to be survivable” for Wilson, ATSB chief constable Angus Mitchell found.

The investigation also found that Robinson’s blood levels of cocaine were low, increasing the risk of fatigue, depression and inattention, but added that there was insufficient evidence to determine whether he was affected at the time.

Wright said the ATSB’s findings had generated mixed feelings and that rumors about the crash were “ridiculous”.

He also said the “noise” surrounding the shocking incident meant he had not been able to fully accept his best friend had disappeared.

“There are certain aspects of that report that upset you because it was such a simple accident that killed Willow,” he said.

‘We didn’t want this to be true. As difficult as it is for everyone involved, there are now some answers to what happened.

“The pilot has suffered enough, he’s in a wheelchair, which is terrible, we’ve lost Willow, lives have been turned upside down, so I just want this to stop.”