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Colin Mcrae

September 6, 2011 by · Comments Off on Colin Mcrae 

Colin McraeColin Mcrae, Colin McRae Rally car champion has been blamed for causing the helicopter crash that killed with his five year old son and two family friends.  A fatal accident inquiry found the crash near his family home in Lanark in 2007, happened because he performed unnecessary low-level maneuvers.

It also found that Mr. McRae was flying “reckless” and “reasonable.”

In a statement, the McRae family, said he “still believe that you never know what caused the accident.”

Mr McRae, 39, her five year old son Johnny, six-year-old friend Ben Porcelli and Graeme Duncan, 37, died when the plane crashed near McRae’s family home in Lanark, on September 15, 2007, who flew home from a trip to see a friend.

The inquiry had heard from Karen and Mark Porcelli, Ben’s parents, who said he gave permission for Mr McRae to take his son into the helicopter.

Nikola Sheriff Stewart, who listened to the investigation of more than 16 days in Lanark Sheriff Court, concluded that the deaths could have been avoided if Mr. McRae did not participate in low-level flying “when it was not necessary and safe do it. ”

In his written determination, the commissioner concluded: “Death and the accident caused the death could have been avoided if Mr. McRae flying his helicopter in the Valley of the mouse.

“This precaution would have been entirely reasonable. There was no need to enter the Valley of the mouse. There are no logistical or operational reasons to enter the Valley of the mouse.

“Mr. McRae decided to fly the helicopter in the valley. For a private pilot as Mr. McRae, who lacks the necessary training experience, or obligation, to embark on such a demanding, low-level flying in difficult terrain for example, was reckless, unreasonable and contrary to the principles of good airmanship. ”

The statement that the accident occurred when, due to “unknown status”, the plane deviated from its intended flight path and crashed into trees along the side of the mouse Valle.

The aircraft was powered flight at the time of the accident and Mr. McRae had tried to recover from that incident unknown.

These attempts, the sheriff said, were not successful because of the position and speed of the helicopter in the mouse and restrictions Valle subsequent opportunities to land the helicopter and fly to safety.

These options have been available to him had “adhered to the rules of good airmanship and gave up flying in the valley at low altitude and high speed,” he said.

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