An inquiry into the helicopter crash that killed TT legend Steve Hislop has concluded that the Scotsman must have become disorienated while flying through cloud and has absolved the Ministry of Defence of any involvement.

Sheriff Principal Edwards Bowen agreed with air accident investigators who stated it was most likely that emerging from cloud cover had caused Hislop, who was 41, to lose control and stalling rotor blades had sliced off the tail boom, causing the helicopter to crash.

Sheriff Bowen said that the wreckage provided indisputable evidence of a tail boom strike by the main rotor blades resulting in the tail detaching in flight. He also said Hislop's helicopter crashed because of a low rotor rpm condition.

He added that Hislop was a competent and careful pilot but emerging from cloud was difficult for even the most experienced pilot. He also said that experts were unanimous that such a manoeuvre through cloud was one in which disorientation was extremely likely. It was described as 'a very difficult manoeuvre, beyond most pilots'.

Claims that military jets which were heard in the vicinity at the time of the crash were a contributary factor were discredited.