Rally champ's chopper crash probed

Updated 12.24 Mon Sep 17 2007

Keywords: helicopter, Colin McRae

The cause of the helicopter crash which killed former world rally champion Colin McRae is being probed by air accident investigators.

The others killed in the tragic crash were the 39-year-old's son Johnny, aged five, Ben Porcelli, six, of Lanark, and Graeme Duncan, 37, who lived in France.

Jimmy McRae described the death of his son and grandson as "unbelievable" and "tragic"

Mr McRae, a licensed pilot, was flying the helicopter when it went down in the grounds of his Jerviswood home, about a mile north of Lanark, at 4.10pm on Saturday.

A team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) began work at the scene on Sunday.

A spokesman for the Department of Transport said they are studying the crash site for signs of mechanical failure.

The flight log, air traffic control records, weather conditions and other outside factors will be studied, the spokesman added.

The team will also consider whether they need to take any of the wreckage to their headquarters in Farnborough, Hampshire, for further examination.

A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said the crash site will remain off limits while the examination continued.

The bodies of the victims were removed from the scene of the wreckage in hearses on Sunday night and post-mortem examinations will be carried out over the next few days.

Mr McRae hails from a well-known motor racing family, with his father Jimmy a five-times British rally champion. He leaves a wife Alison and daughter Hollie.

Jimmy McRae described the death of his son and grandson as "unbelievable" and "tragic".

Ben Porcelli was a friend of McRae's son, while Mr Duncan was a schoolfriend of the driver, who was home on holiday.