McRae death ‘so ironic’

THE father of former world rally champion Colin McRae yesterday said that it was “ironic” his daredevil son died just yards from his front door in a helicopter crash.

Jimmy McRae spoke of his grief at losing his son, who was killed when the helicopter he was flying went down in the grounds of his Jerviswood home, about a mile north of Lanark, at 4.10pm on Saturday.

The 39-year-old’s son Johnny, aged just five, also died in the accident at the weekend along with six-year-old Ben Porcelli, of Lanark, and Graeme Duncan, 37, who lived in France.

Mr McRae said: “It’s very ironic really when you consider the dangerous life that Colin did have in his career as a rally driver, to lose his life here 50 yards from the front door of his house and not only that, he had our grandson Johnny with him and Johnny’s best pal Ben and a very close school friend of Colin who moved to France this year.

“It’s so ironic it’s just almost unbelievable.”

Mr McRae said he does not know much about the circumstances of the crash.

He thinks that the helicopter may have developed a problem further back as his son, a licensed pilot, brought it in on its approach to land.

Mr McRae said: “As far as I can see he has had a problem further back and he has obviously been trying to clear the trees to get to the field.”

He added that he had every confidence in his son’s ability as a pilot: “He had a passion for helicopters and piloting as he did for driving rally cars.

“He was very good at driving rally cars and as far as I’m concerned he was a perfect pilot and I know very experienced pilots had sat beside him.

“I’m sure it’s not a pilot error.”