The pilot of a helicopter in a children's flight involving a Noel Edmonds charity was heard over the radio saying ''I can't see anything'' moments before the aircraft crashed, killing a nine-year-old boy.
Two of Captain Robert Hobson's fellow pilots at an event held at the Queen Mother's childhood home, Glamis Castle, yesterday told Forfar Sheriff Court that Mr Hobson found himself flying blind when his windscreen misted up.
Captain Frank Noakes and Captain Paul Smith also said they had both experienced ''emergency'' misting-up situations in the past in the type of helicopter Mr Hobson was flying in the accident that claimed the life of Garry Malley, from Dundee.
Both men described how, in the past, they both had to make emergency landings in Bell Jet Ranger helicopters, which were susceptible to foggy windscreens.
Mr Noakes, a pilot with Forth and Clyde Helicopters, said that Mr Hobson, who was flying behind him, radioed to say he was going to have to land.
Mr Noakes, 41, who said all three pilots at the event at Glamis Castle had agreed it was safe to fly after he completed a preliminary flight to check the route and the weather conditions, added: ''During the second flight I heard Captain Hobson say he had misting problems and was letting down.''
After receiving the message Mr Noakes, who was at a height of 150ft coming into land after finishing his circuit, saw Mr Hobson's Kwik-Fit Flyer Bell Jet Ranger helicopter in a ''stable hover'' around 12ft above the ground and around 100 yards from his right-hand side.
Mr Noakes said there did not appear to be any obstacles preventing Mr Hobson from landing, although he conceded that the Bell Ranger pilot was the best person to make that decision.
Mr Hobson, 56, from Howgate, Penicuik, faces two charges of contravening the Air Navigation Act. The charges allege he acted recklessly or negligently in a manner likely to endanger the helicopter and its five passengers by taking off and flying when visibility was restricted. It is alleged that misted-up windows caused the helicopter to collide with fences and crash.
It also alleged that Mr Hobson failed to comply with a condition of the helicopter's certificate of airworthiness by flying with six people on board, exceeding the maximum number of five passengers. Four other children were also injured in the crash on July 13 last year at the annual Glamis Extravaganza.
Mr Noakes was one of three pilots who flew at Glamis Castle at an event for special needs children involving the Noel Edmonds charity, Airborne.
The third pilot, Mr Smith, of the Inverness-based PDG group, said he realised that there was an emergency as soon as Mr Hobson radioed him.
Mr Smith said: ''He was saying 'I can't see anything' and I said something like 'What do you mean by that?' I assumed there could be two scenarios. He could be in cloud or he could have a misted-up windscreen. He came back and said he couldn't see through the windscreen.
''I knew it was an emergency, but only because I have experienced the same thing.''
Mr Smith said that Mr Hobson had said he would try to return to the landing site. He added: ''In that situation you would make a precautionary landing. Find a big open space. What you do not do is return to Glamis Castle, because the ground was not open to that and there were trees and there were other helicopters on site.
''I spoke to the Enstrom pilot (Noakes), but he said to me on the radio that he saw Mr Hobson land in a field. Aware that Mr Hobson was on the ground and the Enstrom was landing. I decided to carry on with the flight.''
He then went on a short flight in his Squirrel helicopter to see if he could find Mr Hobson's helicopter, but was unsuccessful.
He then landed, and added: ''I walked over to Frank Noakes to talk to him about Mr Hobson's predicament. I said I was really concerned about him. He (Noakes) was not too concerned, because he said he saw him hover prior to landing in a field. I said: ''A lot can happen between a hover and a landing in an aircraft.'''
The trial, before Sheriff James Scott, continues.
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