Officers threw a 600-yard cordon around the house.

We only moved here seven years ago, but they are a Lanark family born and bred.'Īs darkness fell last night, police had erected an incident tent in the woods at the scene of the crash. He added: 'Colin is a very popular person around here. If it turns out to be him it will have an unbelievable effect on the local community.' He added: 'I know him well enough to say hello to, although I don't know him personally. It is up so often my cattle don't even flinch when it is overhead.' 'It was navy blue in colour and I am led to believe it belongs to Colin McRae. It was about half a mile from me and the helicopter seemed to be flying normally. I could not see what happened when it went down. After it disappeared I saw smoke rising from the trees and phoned the emergency services. The helicopter came overhead and then dropped into the valley. He said: 'I was speaking to one of my friends on the farm. Strathclyde Fire Brigade also had units in attendance.ĭavid Lowry, 48, who owns New Steadings Farm, just across the Mouse Water from McRae's home, saw the helicopter crash. The Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed that its own helicopter had been sent to the scene along with three ambulance crews. Members of the Department of Transport's Air Accidents Investigation Branch were travelling to the scene at Jerviswood, one mile north of Lanark last night. Weather conditions at the time were deteriorating with strengthening winds and light rain. She added that it could be some time before official identifications can be made. It might be one, it might be more,' she said. 'The damage has been so bad that we don't know how many people were on board. Officers were trying to establish who was on board and where the helicopter was travelling to and from.

A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman confirmed there were no survivors. Locals said they feared McRae had been travelling with another adult and two children. Jean-Eric Freudiger, McRae's agent, confirmed McRae had been piloting the helicopter. Police sources said the blue helicopter used by the 39-year-old multi-millionaire had exploded in a 'fireball'.Įyewitness David Lowry, who lives nearby, said he watched as the helicopter plunged into a valley.Īs many as four people are thought to have died in the crash.

The Twin Squirrel helicopter registered to the former world champion rally driver came down shortly after 4pm yesterday about 200 yards from his 17th-century mansion. SCOTTISH rally champion Colin McRae has been killed in a helicopter crash close to his Lanarkshire home. Rally ace Colin McRae dies in helicopter crash

Colin mcrae rally rip