A MOTOR sport boss and his wife had a miraculous escape when their helicopter crashed into a field in North Weald this afternoon (Sunday).

David Richards is chief executive of Prodrive which runs the Subaru World Rally Team.

Colin McRae, who died in a helicopter crash in Scotland on Saturday along with his son, Johnny, five, and two other people, won his world rally title with Prodrive in 1995.

Mr Richards and his wife, Karen, 53, walked away from the wreckage and were treated by an ambulance crew at the scene for shock.

The blue Eurocopter EC135 came down off Church Lane at 2.15pm as the couple returned from the Belgian Grand Prix where Mr Edwards led the tributes to McRae.

Mr Richards, 55, told the motorsport website autosport.com shortly after the crash: "Something failed on the transmission system. Because of what happened with Colin yesterday we didn't want to stay at Spa, we wanted to come back home early.

"We were nearing Stansted airport when we heard this bang at the back of the aircraft. I was talking to the control at Stansted at the time so I immediately gave them a May Day call, and the rescue crew came within minutes.

"Then everything failed but I managed to bring it down to the ground, and it fell on its side."

He added: "Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're not. It's very sad that Colin was not."

A Prodrive spokesman said: "David and Colin were great friends and it's an amazing coincidence that this has happened.

"Colin was a Subaru driver for many years and during that time he and David got to know each other very well. David is devastated about what has happened to Colin.

"We are just thankful he and Karen are okay."

An Essex Police spokesman said the couple had been returning to Oxfordshire when the crash happened. The couple are understood to live in Banbury.

Four fire crews were called to the scene along with North Weald airfield's own fire service which was the first crew to arrive.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch is carrying out an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Tonight the wreckage remains in the field, close to the North Weald flood alleviation scheme, with arc lights illuminating the scene.

Church Lane, which was closed by police earlier this afternoon, is now open to traffic.

Did you see or hear anything at the time of the crash? Text us your eyewitness accounts to 07710 447868 or email djackman@london.newsquest.co.uk