A HELICOPTER crash left Bertie Fisher, a leading Northern Ireland rally driver, and his wife critically ill in hospital last night and their son and daughter dead.

Mr Fisher's private helicopter went down a short distance from his home a few miles outside Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.

Air accident investigators were at the scene carrying out an investigation to try to discover what went wrong.

The helicopter crashed in a small copse of trees beside a country lane, causing extensive damage to the cockpit.

RUC Superintendent Eddie Graham said: ''Mr Fisher was an accomplished pilot and at this stage we don't know why the aircraft went down.

''It is a tragedy that two of his children were killed.''

Mr Fisher and his wife Gladys, together with another son, were taken to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen for treatment.

An army helicopter based in the town was scrambled to collect a medical team from the hospital and take them to the scene of the crash at Monea, five miles from Enniskillen on the road to Derrygonnelly.

It then made two trips to ferry the injured to hospital where Mr and Mrs Fisher were later reported to be in critical condition and their other son stable.

A local GP pronounced son, Mark, 27, and daughter, Emma, 25, dead at the scene.

Sam Foster, Northern Ireland environment minister and Fermanagh man , who knows the Fisher family, expressed his sadness.

''The community is in deep shock,'' he said. ''This was a well known family in the Fermanagh area and further afield.

''They are a highly respected, decent, responsible family. This is a devastating blow.''

Police investigators said they want to hear from anyone who may have seen or heard a helicopter in the Monea or Derrygonnelly area during the afternoon to contact them.

The Fisher family had been returning home from a day out at the luxury Ashford Castle hotel in County Mayo where they had been celebrating Mrs Fisher's birthday.

The RUC said there was no mayday call.