Leicester City Owner's Helicopter Crash Ruled Accidental

An inquest jury has ruled that the helicopter crash that killed Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others in 2018 was an accident, citing pilot error and mechanical failure.

The helicopter crash that killed Leicester City's owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and four others in October 2018 has been officially ruled an accident by an inquest jury. The crash occurred shortly after takeoff from the King Power Stadium, and the helicopter burst into flames, claiming the lives of everyone on board, including pilot Eric Swaffer, his partner Izabela Lechowicz, and passengers Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare.

The deaths of the five people, including Leicester City's owner, in a helicopter crash were accidental, a inquest jury has ruled. pic.twitter.com/ds84qDTM7q

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The inquest, held at Leicester City Hall, examined the circumstances surrounding the deaths and considered the findings of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). Senior coroner Catherine Mason instructed the jury to “accept and follow” the AAIB's conclusion that the crash was accidental. Mark Jarvis, the principal inspector at AAIB, testified that a duplex bearing on the tail rotor, which contributes to stability, became “seized and locked” before the helicopter crashed.

According to Jarvis, the pilot, Eric Swaffer, took quick action to try and correct the situation, but the helicopter was ultimately out of control. “Our conclusion was that the pilot had done everything in his power to try to avoid and correct the situation he found himself in,” Jarvis said. He added, “The helicopter was out of control. The only control the pilot had was on the rate of descent of the helicopter during extremely disorientating conditions. The pilot took quick action and took the only actions he could do and continued to try and take those actions. The pilot did everything possibly expected of him.”

The Leicester City helicopter crash was 'accidental', an inquest jury has ruled.

In a statement, Barrister Philip Shepherd KC said the causes of the crash "can be traced back to fundamental design errors and the failure to mitigate known risks."https://t.co/QdjrtdpZeX pic.twitter.com/HbuchpTSMG

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The jury foreperson delivered the verdict on Tuesday, stating that the jurors had concluded that “the helicopter had all airworthiness and maintenance certificates.” Additionally, they found that pilot Eric Swaffer had taken all necessary steps to try and regain control of the helicopter. “It was found that the pilot, Eric Swaffer, took all available and appropriate options to try to regain control of the helicopter,” the foreperson added.

The inquest revealed the causes of death for the five victims. Four of them died due to smoke inhalation after the fire broke out, while Izabela Lechowicz “likely died at the point of impact.” The inquest also included a heartfelt tribute to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, read to the court by the lawyer for his family. The tribute described Srivaddhanaprabha as “a good man with a good heart.” The family expressed their deep sense of loss, saying, “We miss him every day. The pain his death caused and continues to cause our family is immeasurable.”

The family's statement also paid tribute to Srivaddhanaprabha's significant contributions to Leicester City Football Club. They acknowledged his role in reviving the club's fortunes and bankrolling their remarkable Premier League title triumph in 2016. At the start of that season, Leicester were 5,000/1 rank outsiders to win the championship, making their victory all the more remarkable.