Two company bosses were too inexperienced to pilot a helicopter through rapidly deteriorating weather conditions causing it to crash killing them and two other men, an inquest heard.

Tim Newburn, 39, who ran a generator business in Low Moor, Bradford, and Anderson Patrick, 37, who was managing director of a construction firm, were at the controls of the Robinson R44 helicopter which hit hilly ground near Kendal, Cumbria, only eight minutes after setting off in relatively calm weather in August last year.

Mr Newburn, of Bailiff Bridge, Brighouse, and Mr Patrick, of Askwith, Otley, died alongside Mr Patrick’s father Peter, 68, of Arkholme, near Carnforth, Lancashire, and Mr Newburn’s close friend, Gary Priestley, 39, of Hipperholme, near Brighouse. All four died of multiple injuries.

A jury at the inquest in Kendal yesterday heard that the helicopter was circling around a quarter of a mile from Junction 36 of the M6 motorway seconds before impact as it attempted to fly out of low-lying cloud on August 3, 2007.

Air accident investigator Tony Severs told the hearing the instrument-free craft was not equipped to fly in cloud and the pilots on board, Mr Patrick Jnr, known as Andy, and Mr Newburn, were not experienced enough to handle such poor weather.

The helicopter was also flying at a “totally inappropriate” speed of about 120mph shortly before the crash, he said.

In directing the jury to return accidental death verdicts, South Cumbria Coroner Ian Smith said: “The truth in my view is the pilots were flying beyond their capabilities because of the conditions.

“This helicopter could not negotiate foul weather.

“The two pilots were fully qualified and had kept up their flying hours but they got into a situation which they did not really know how to handle.”

The jury of four men and four women agreed the helicopter was not fully equipped to deal with the poor visibility that was encountered.

The helicopter had been operated by Multiflight at Leeds-Bradford Airport from where it had taken off to fly to Carnforth with Andy Patrick at the controls. It landed to pick up Peter Patrick en route to Lochmaben, near Lockerbie, for a pheasant shoot.

Mr Newburn then sat in the pilot’s seat after they picked up Mr Patrick Snr as family members took photographs of the aircraft leaving at 7.28pm.

Disaster struck eight minutes later, Mr Smith told the hearing in Kendal.

The weather conditions were suitable for take-off, but there was heavy rain and thick cloud ahead around the higher ground of the Lake District.

Neither of the pilots was able to gauge an accurate forecast for the region as Carlisle Airport was closed – but they had checked the conditions at Leeds-Bradford and Blackpool airports.

Air Accident investigator Mr Severs said the aircraft was orbiting in a figure of eight before the collision at Sillfield Farm, in Gatebeck, near Kendal.

In his opinion he did not believe it was trying to land. He said he thought the occupants may have been trying to head south towards the motorway and were assessing the situation.

Radar records showed the helicopter had been travelling at a speed of around 120mph at one point which Mr Severs said was too fast to slow down comfortably in the conditions.

The Robinson R44 hit the rising ground, crashed through a fence and broke up across a field. The wreckage was found the following morning.

Both Mr Patrick Jnr and Mr Newburn had completed up to 100 hours in flying time, but were relatively inexperienced.

Eyewitness Craig Ellis said he was “amazed” to see a helicopter in flight in such poor conditions.

Mr Ellis, himself a helicopter pilot, had landed at his home 35 minutes prior to the collision on a journey from Ripon.

He said the conditions had worsened towards the end of his flight and deteriorated further when he spotted the helicopter shortly before the crash.

Father-of-one Mr Newburn ran the TM Newburn Group generator company. The Patricks ran Termrim Construction in Huddersfield.