Experienced flier tells Colin McRae probe copter 'was too low for windy day'

Mr Cook was giving evidence at the fatal accident inquiry into the crash, which claimed the lives of McRae, his five-year-old son Johnny and family friends Ben Porcelli, six, and Graeme Duncan, 37.

It crashed in the grounds of 39-year-old McRae's Jerviswood mansion in Lanark as he flew home from a friend's farm on 15 September 2007.

Mr Cook, a civil engineer with experience of travelling in low-flying helicopters, said he had been struck by how close to the ground McRae had flown that day.

He dismissed earlier suggestions that the engine sounded in difficulty before the crash.

Mr Cook told the court he regularly flew in helicopters as part of his job checking the stability of railway embankments.

Under questioning he said: "I noticed how low it was. It was at about 300 or 400 feet, quite a bit lower than helicopters would normally fly.

"Helicopters normally fly at about two or three thousand feet. That is what they are supposed to fly at.

"He was flying side on and it was low. It was quite a windy day and I thought it would be difficult to fly in the conditions.

"It had been reported that the engine sounded as if it was distressed but I didn't hear anything like that.

"There was no real sound of any engine problems."

The inquiry heard earlier from several witnesses who spoke of hearing an unusual noise from the helicopter on the day of the crash.

Robert Muncie, 54, said the aircraft had been making a "clunking" noise like the sound of bricks in a cement mixer.

And Anne Cooper, 57, said she and her mother feared there was something wrong with the helicopter because it was making a noise resembling coins in a washing machine.Sergeant John Watt, of Strathclyde Police's Air Support Unit, told the court he had flown over the accident site and conducted a search for survivors.

He was asked to describe the differences between his aircraft and McRae's after claims witnesses may have confused the two aircraft.

He told Sheriff Nikola Stewart that the police aircraft had twin engines, was larger and had a completely different body shape to McRae's helicopter.

Sheriff Stewart later requested to hear from a pilot who had experience of flying in the area where former world rally champ McRae had crashed.

Depute fiscal Kate Meikle told her this would be provided later in the inquiry when experts from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch are called as witnesses.

Yesterday was the fifth day of evidence at the inquiry into the crash, which is being held at Lanark Sherif Court.

The hearings were told on Thursday that the impact had sounded like a "grenade going off".

The inquiry was adjourned and will resume on 24 January.