FORMER world rally champion Colin McRae has been blamed for causing a helicopter crash which killed him and his three passengers – including two young schoolboys.
A Fatal Accident Inquiry yesterday found that the 39-year-old Scots star was flying too low and too fast when the aircraft crashed in the grounds of his family home near Lanark on September 15, 2007.
McRae, his friend Graeme Duncan, 36, his five-year-old son Johnny and six-year-old Ben Porcelli were all killed instantly in the smash.
Sheriff Nikola Stewart said yesterday there were reasonable precautions that could have been taken to avoid the tragedy.
She said: “It would have been a reasonable precaution to refrain from flying the helicopter into Mouse Valley wherein the pilot engaged in low level flying when it was unnecessary and unsafe for him to do so and whilst carrying passengers on board.”
The sheriff added that McRae, who was the first British world rally champion in 1995, would have been able to land or fly the helicopter to safety if he had “adhered to rules of good airmanship and desisted from flying in the valley at low height and high speed”.
Sheriff Stewart also said that the father-of-two should never have flown the aircraft because he did not have a valid flying licence at the time.
Video footage filmed by Mr Duncan showed McRae clearly breaching the 500ft minimum separation requirement between the helicopter and surrounding landmarks.
He also undertook complex manoeuvring that resulted in a G-force effect, bringing shouts of enjoyment from his passengers.
During one clip, Mr Duncan was heard to shout: “Ah yes -- feel the G-force.”
Despite this, McRae’s father, Jimmy, yesterday claimed that his son was a good pilot who was well-equipped to fly the helicopter.
He said: “We still believe we will never know what caused the crash but we were never in any doubt as to Colin’s prowess as a fine pilot.
“Everybody knows from Colin’s rallying career that safety is always an issue, and that his reactions and eye and hand co-ordination were world class.
“The past four years have been extremely difficult for all the families concerned and we hope that now we can move forward.”
Ben’s mother Karen, 42, told the 16-day inquiry at Lanark Sheriff Court earlier this year that McRae never asked her for permission to take the youngster on the trip.
She said: “The boys were good friends. They would play together out of school on a regular basis. I knew Colin McRae had a helicopter, but there had been no discussion of Ben going in the helicopter on that day, or any other occasion.
“At no point did he seek permission to take Ben in the helicopter.”
Sheriff Stewart said yesterday: “It is clear from Mrs Porcelli’s affidavit, and that of her husband, that their understanding was the boys would spend the afternoon playing together at Jerviswood.
“At no point did Mr McRae seek their permission to take Ben on that helicopter flight.
“The pain and anguish resulting from Mr McRae’s decision to take the boys on board is unimaginable.”
McRae’s widow Alison and the procurator-fiscal depute asked the sheriff to make a recommendation that flight data recorders be included in all aircraft in future.
However, Sheriff Stewart said she was not convinced that this was necessary.
McRae and his three passengers were killed instantly on impact as the helicopter crashed into woodland and burst into a ball of flames.
The tragedy left three families struggling to cope with what happened.
Sheriff Stewart added: “At the heart of this inquiry, and never far from the thoughts of those involved in the conduct of it, were the tragically premature deaths of much loved and forever missed family members and friends.
“In submissions, all representatives expressed their sincere condolences to those bereaved. I take this opportunity to add mine.”
The sheriff’s findings go further than an Air Accidents Investigation Branch report in February 2009, which found no cause could be positively determined into the tragedy.
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