Leicester City crash ‘accident’ but family say helicopter ‘death trap’
The deaths of five people in a helicopter crash, including the former owner of Leicester City, were accidents, according to an inquest jury delivering their conclusion on Tuesday.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, referred to in court as Khun Vichai, died alongside pilot Eric Swaffer, co-pilot Izabela Lechowicz, Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare when his private helicopter crashed outside of the King Power Stadium and became engulfed in flames.
Srivaddhanaprabha owned Leicester City when they won the Premier League in 2016 and died in 2018.
The conclusion said: “The helicopter had all airworthiness and maintenance certificates. It was found that the pilot, Eric Swaffer, took all available and appropriate options to try to regain control of the helicopter.”
Four of the deceased were killed by smoke inhalation, the inquest heard, while Ms Lechowicz’s death was listed as “significant” head and chest injuries.
Helicopter a ‘death trap’
Philip Shepherd KC, representing the former Leicester City owner’s family, read a statement on behalf of Khun Vichai’s son Aiyawatt after the hearing.
“It’s impossible to put my father into words,” he said. “Thank you Leicester for your outpouring of support. We miss him and feel his loss every day.
“My father trusted the design of this helicopter. It was Leonardo’s responsibility to make sure the helicopter was safe. It wasn’t safe, it was a death trap.”
Before the helicopter crash inquest began in January, Mr Srivaddhanaprabha’s family launched a £2.15bn lawsuit against the Italian manufacturer Leonardo SpA, in what family lawyers have described as the largest fatal accident claim in English history.
Jon Rudkin, Leicester City’s director of football, described the Leonardo AW169 crash, saying: “It held its position as it sometimes did.
“As it turned it continued to turn and then go into a spin. As soon as it went on that first full circle, I thought this was strange.
“It then started to nosedive away from the stadium still rotating in the air.”