Breaking news: Helicopter registered to Colin McRae involved in fatal crash

[Oggie]

09/15/2007 --



A helicopter that crashed in rural Scotland today was registered to rally driver Colin McRae, it has been revealed.

Strathclyde Police said there were no survivors after the aircraft came down near Lanark this afternoon.

It is not known whether the former world rally champion, who has a pilot's licence, was on board.

Police have said extensive damage was done to the twin squirrel helicopter and they were not immediately able to confirm how many people had been travelling in the craft.

There will be no formal identification of any victims this evening.

The air accident investigation team are en route to establish the cause of the crash.

The Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed that its own helicopter was despatched to the scene along with three ambulance crews and units from Strathclyde Fire Brigade.

Sky Correspondent James Matthews said: "My understanding is that the helicopter involved is registered to Colin McRae, the former world rally champion former world rally champion.

"He lives on an estate where this crash took place, the Jervis Wood estate just outside Lanark in the central belt of Scotland.

"All police will say it that they are in touch with the family to try to establish the identity of those on board the helicopter."

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/myfox/pa...Y&pageId=3.4.1

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All signs point towards the death of a rally legend... I hope I'm wrong, but it is looking likely.

[Oggie]

There are rumours swirling on certain rally forums saying that a source has confirmed that Colin and his son were on board and that his manager has confirmed that McRae was indeed one of the fatalities...
Nothing is confirmed as of yet, all just rumours. Fingers crossed!

[Violent Demise]

Who's Colin McRae?

[Oggie]

Who's Colin McRae?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McRae
One of the best and most exciting rally drivers of the last 20 years. After all his spectacular crashes in his various cars down the years, it would really suck to see it end like this.

[ICB]

Who's Colin McRae?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McRae
One of the best and most exciting rally drivers of the last 20 years. After all his spectacular crashes in his various cars down the years, it would really suck to see it end like this.

Death
An AS350 Squirrel helicopter registered to McRae crashed 1 mile north of Lanark, Scotland on 15 September 2007, which is close to the McRae family home. McRae is known to be a keen helicopter pilot, and his agent says he and his 5 year old son were killed in the crash,[6] in which Strathclyde police confirm there were no survivors.[7] They however will not immediately identify the fatalities.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_McRae


R.I.P

[Oggie]

It's still all speculation, but like I said... it is looking likely that McRae has indeed been killed.
I think it is all just a matter of waiting for the authorities to confirm it.
Total tragedy.

[ICB]

It's still all speculation, but like I said... it is looking likely that McRae has indeed been killed.
I think it is all just a matter of waiting for the authorities to confirm it.
Total tragedy.

I hope it isn't true mate if it is i think we should make appreciation thread for him and his son.

[Oggie]

THE former rally driving champion Colin McRae was killed and his five year-old son feared dead in a helicopter crash yesterday afternoon. The aircraft came down in Jerviswood, Lanarkshire, half a mile from the family's home and burst into flames just after 4pm.

Jean-Eric Freudiger, McRae's agent, said the 39-year-old driver had been piloting the helicopter himself. Also on board were believed to be his son Johnny, another adult and another child. Police said there were no survivors.

McRae's wife Alison and their daughter Hollie, 9, were not on board, friends said.

McRae became Britain's first World Rally champion in 1995. He was one of the country's most successful sportsmen, achieving 25 wins in World Rally events and 42 podium places. He was a flamboyant driver, inspiring one the world's best-selling computer rally games.

The helicopter came down within half a mile of McRae's home, Jervis House, a 16th-century tower house, which has an adjacent helipad. The weather had been overcast, with a light breeze, but visibility was good.

Strathclyde police said the extent of the fire damage was making identification a problem.

McRae's wife, a childhood sweetheart and his former co-driver, was taken back to the house under police escort shortly after 6pm. She looked calm, but neighbours gathering outside the house looked shaken with grief.

McRae's friend the rally journalist Jeremy Hart who flew with the champion several times described him as a "very good, very measured pilot whose natural ability with machinery was second to none". "Colin regularly flew all over the UK and into Europe," said Hart. "He knew the terrain and conditions at Jerviswood very well. It was the place he flew into most regularly.

"As a driver Colin was misunderstood slightly as being reckless but everything you saw with him came from pure raw talent as opposed to being learnt. He was the Michael Schumacher of rally driving.

"It's so ironic that he should die in a helicopter crash when he had competed and had brushed with death so many times as a rally driver."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle2461339.ece

[Oggie]

It's still all speculation, but like I said... it is looking likely that McRae has indeed been killed.
I think it is all just a matter of waiting for the authorities to confirm it.
Total tragedy.

I hope it isn't true mate if it is i think we should make appreciation thread for him and his son.

Agreed 100% man.
Looks like there might have been another adult and child on board too, hope not though.

[Oggie]

Legend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwb-RNbdx5U

[Oggie]

McRae and co-driver Nicky Grist in their iconic, championship winning Subaru Impreza.

[skel1983]

What a sad story, RIP all the people killed in this accident.

[Kel]

Just saw in the other thread I can't beleive it! He was amazing in the 90's
Sad day

[Oggie]

As if we needed it, here is the official confirmation of the fatalities... R.I.P everyone.
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LONDON (AFP) — Rally driver Colin McRae and two children -- including his five-year-old son -- were among the four passengers killed in a helicopter crash this weekend in Scotland, police said Sunday.

Strathclyde Police confirmed that the 39-year-old driver, his son Johnny, and two family friends were killed in the incident in Lanark, Scotland, on Saturday afternoon.

"We believe that the group were just returning from a visit to the nearby village of Quarter around 1605 hours yesterday, when it appears that the helicopter got into difficulty and crashed within the grounds of Mr McRae's family home," Chief Superintendent Tim Love said in a statement.

"Our officers are working closely with the air accident investigation team who are presently at the scene.

"Family liaison officers have been appointed and are with the families to help them through this distressing and difficult time."

A police spokeswoman stressed that the bodies had not yet been formally identified.

"Regarding the helicopter crash in Jerviswood, Lanark, yesterday, Saturday 15 September 2007, it has now been confirmed that there were four people, two adults and two young children, on board," the statement read.

"Although a post mortem has still to take place, the four involved are believed to be: Mr Colin McRae (39) of Jerviswood House and his son Johnny Gavin McRae, aged 5."

The two others were named as six-year-old Ben Porcelli, of Lanark, and Graeme Duncan, 37, who lived in France.

McRae, the first Briton to win the world rally championship, was married to wife Alison and the couple had two children, Hollie and Johnny.

Colin Steele McRae, a licensed pilot who owned a helicopter, was born in Lanark on August 5, 1968.