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11 January 2011
Last updated at 07:49 ET
A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) has heard of the last moments of a helicopter flight which crashed killing Colin McRae and three other people.
A neighbour of the champion rally driver said the aircraft was not on its normal flight path before it came down.
Farmer David Lowrie said he lost sight of the helicopter before seeing part of its rotor blade spiralling upwards.
Mr McRae, 39, was at the controls when the aircraft crashed near his home in Lanark in September 2007.
He died with his five-year-old son Johnny, school friend Ben Porcelli, six, and 37-year-old Graeme Duncan.
The FAI into the crash, which is expected to last several months, entered its second day on Tuesday at Lanark Sheriff Court.
Mr Lowrie said he was feeding cattle when the helicopter passed overhead.
He said the aircraft was travelling at regular height and speed but was not on its normal flight path.
The farmer described how the helicopter "veered to the right and then sharply to the left".
He said it then passed from view behind the contours of the land before he saw part of its rotor blade spiralling upwards.
Mr Lowrie said it was glistening in the sun against the dark green of the trees.
Last year, a report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found no technical reason for the crash, but said a technical fault could not be ruled out.
The official report, published in February, also found that Mr McRae did not have a valid flying licence at the time of the crash.
'Demanding manoeuvre' It said Mr McRae was "undertaking a demanding manoeuvre" before the Eurocopter Squirrel aircraft hit trees and crashed.
The aircraft came down just 150 yards from the landing strip at the McRae family's home.
The findings revealed that passenger Graeme Duncan had recorded video footage on a camcorder during the helicopter's flight prior to the crash.
This was recovered from the wreckage and viewed by investigators to help them piece together the moments before impact.
The AAIB report said the mood on the helicopter was jovial and the passengers could be heard shouting and laughing, "enjoying the experience".
Following that report, Ben Porcelli's parents accused Mr McRae of taking "unnecessary risks" and said the crash was "completely avoidable".
In a statement to the FAI on Monday, the Porcelli's said Mr McRae had not sought their permission to take their son on the helicopter.
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A neighbour of the champion rally driver said the aircraft was not on its normal flight path before it came down.
Farmer David Lowrie said he lost sight of the helicopter before seeing part of its rotor blade spiralling upwards.
Mr McRae, 39, was at the controls when the aircraft crashed near his home in Lanark in September 2007.
He died with his five-year-old son Johnny, school friend Ben Porcelli, six, and 37-year-old Graeme Duncan.
The FAI into the crash, which is expected to last several months, entered its second day on Tuesday at Lanark Sheriff Court.
Mr Lowrie said he was feeding cattle when the helicopter passed overhead.
He said the aircraft was travelling at regular height and speed but was not on its normal flight path.
The farmer described how the helicopter "veered to the right and then sharply to the left".
He said it then passed from view behind the contours of the land before he saw part of its rotor blade spiralling upwards.
Mr Lowrie said it was glistening in the sun against the dark green of the trees.
Last year, a report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found no technical reason for the crash, but said a technical fault could not be ruled out.
The official report, published in February, also found that Mr McRae did not have a valid flying licence at the time of the crash.
'Demanding manoeuvre' It said Mr McRae was "undertaking a demanding manoeuvre" before the Eurocopter Squirrel aircraft hit trees and crashed.
The aircraft came down just 150 yards from the landing strip at the McRae family's home.
The findings revealed that passenger Graeme Duncan had recorded video footage on a camcorder during the helicopter's flight prior to the crash.
This was recovered from the wreckage and viewed by investigators to help them piece together the moments before impact.
The AAIB report said the mood on the helicopter was jovial and the passengers could be heard shouting and laughing, "enjoying the experience".
Following that report, Ben Porcelli's parents accused Mr McRae of taking "unnecessary risks" and said the crash was "completely avoidable".
In a statement to the FAI on Monday, the Porcelli's said Mr McRae had not sought their permission to take their son on the helicopter.
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