Colin McRae and son dies in helicopter crash.

[mountjonas]

From Nasioc

From the Times newspaper for tomorrow..

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."

 

[mhrebin]

wtf.....no way.

 

[mikeyb]

You have to link to the article?

 

[quagmire]

''An AS350B2 Squirrel helicopter registered to McRae [1] 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 Jean-Eric Freudiger says he and his 5 year old son Johnny were killed in the crash,[6] in which Strathclyde police confirm there were no survivors.[7] They however will not immediately identify the fatalities.''

its true.

 

[Focus]

http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article2461339.ece

 

[bazooka joe]

(headshake

 

[altspace]

So young, both he and his son. A sad day indeed.

 

[Foolish]

This makes me very sad...

He was a hell of a driver, and he always seemed like a good guy when I saw him interviewed.

 

[KronixKid22]

What the hell? I remember just seeing him at the X-Games? So messed up

 

[Salmon_Rob]

wow thats terrible. i cant believe its true

 

[Rainman]

That is just brutal. Such a tragedy. My sympathies go out to his family and the family of his passengers.

R

 

[Chief7925]

NOOOOO!!!!! I had a lot of respect for McRae. This is ****** up : (. Rest in peace Mr. McRae.

 

[terbow]

wow. im in shock. thats so sad.

 

[Red5_02]

Too much. The sport lost a great one.

 

[b15nut]

RIP and my thoughts and prayers will be with his family. I always looked up to him as I was born in the UK and my father is a big fan. Now I have to call him and break the news.

You will be missed.

 

[mzdalvr]

BBC NEWS
Rally driver feared dead in crash

Former world rally champion Colin McRae is believed to have been killed along with three others in a helicopter crash near his home in Lanarkshire.

The helicopter, which police believe was owned by Mr McRae, 39, came down at 1610 BST in Jerviswood, about a mile from Lanark, and caught fire.

Strathclyde Police said Colin McRae, a keen pilot, is thought to have been on board with three others.

However formal identification of those killed still has to be carried out.

Strathclyde Police said the damage to the Squirrel aircraft was so bad it was initially unclear how many people had died.

A police statement said: "Around 1610 BST on Saturday, 15 September 2007, emergency services were called to a helicopter crash in Jerviswood, east of the A73 at Lanark.

"There are no survivors."

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has been informed and will carry out a full inquiry.

Police have been conducting a full scene examination and area search.

The Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed that its own helicopter had been despatched to the scene along with three ambulance crews and the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service was in attendance.

An RAF helicopter was also put on stand-by to assist.

A spokesman for the British Airports Authority said the helicopter did not come from Glasgow or Edinburgh Airports, but its flight path is still unknown.

Colin McRae won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1995 driving a Subaru, becoming the first Briton to win the title.

He also was runner-up in 1996, 1997 and 2001.

He is married to Alison and has two children, Hollie and Johnny.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6997134.stm

Published: 2007/09/15 23:10:29 GMT

BBC MMVII

 

[FrigginGLI]

Colin Mcrae

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070915/FREE/70915001/1065

RIP

 

[Not Jo3L]

OMG my idol is gone. Now all i have to look up to in the x games is travis p(sad2)

RIP collin mcrae we will miss you

 

[TheMAN]

R.I.P.

good lord... bad s*** keeps happening! he will be missed... he truely changed the world

 

[TheMAN]

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123683073