PRESS ASSOCIATION -- The deaths of former world rallying champion Colin McRae and three others in a helicopter crash could have been avoided, a sheriff has ruled.
McRae, 39, his five-year-old son Johnny, the boy's six-year-old friend Ben Porcelli and Graeme Duncan, 37, all died when the aircraft came down near McRae's home in Lanark on September 15 2007 as he flew home from a trip to see a friend.
Sheriff Nikola Stewart, who heard a fatal accident inquiry over 12 days at Lanark Sheriff Court, concluded that the deaths could have been avoided if McRae had not engaged in low-level flying "when it was unnecessary and unsafe to do so".
In her written determination, the sheriff concluded: "The deaths and the accident resulting in the deaths might have been avoided had Mr McRae not flown his helicopter into the Mouse Valley.
"Mr McRae chose to fly the helicopter into the valley. For a private pilot such as Mr McRae, lacking the necessary training, experience or requirement to do so, embarking upon such demanding, low-level flying in such difficult terrain, was imprudent, unreasonable and contrary to the principles of good airmanship."
The ruling states that the accident happened when, due to an "unknown occurrence", the aircraft deviated from its intended flight path and crashed into trees lining the side of Mouse Valley.
These attempts, the sheriff said, were unsuccessful because of the position and speed of the helicopter within Mouse Valley and the ensuing restrictions on opportunities to land the helicopter or fly it to safety.
Sheriff Stewart found McRae did not hold a valid flying licence or a valid "rating" for the Eurocopter Squirrel helicopter. The McRae family's solicitor, Peter Watson, said: "Although Colin's licence was out-of-date, this played no contributory factor whatsoever to the accident."
Jimmy McRae, Mr McRae's father, said: "The past four years have been extremely difficult for all the families concerned and we hope that now we can move forward.
"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".