Helicopter Crash That Killed Leicester City Owner Ruled as an Accident
An inquest jury has concluded that the helicopter crash that killed Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner of Leicester City Football Club, was an accident. The crash occurred in October 2018, shortly after Srivaddhanaprabha’s personal helicopter took off from the club’s King Power Stadium following a match. Along with the Thai billionaire, the crash claimed the lives of the aircraft’s pilot Eric Swaffer, his partner Izabela Lechowicz, and passengers Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare.
The inquest, held at Leicester City Hall in central England, examined the deaths of Srivaddhanaprabha and the four other individuals. Senior coroner Catherine Mason told the jury to accept and follow the findings of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which concluded that the crash was an accident.
Mark Jarvis, the principle inspector at AAIB, testified that a duplex bearing on the helicopter’s tail rotor—which is crucial for stability—became seized and locked. This mechanical failure led to the helicopter losing control and crashing. Despite the challenging conditions, Jarvis stated that Swaffer did everything in his power to control the situation.
“The helicopter was out of control. The only control the pilot had was on the rate of descent during extremely disorientating conditions,” Jarvis explained. He further emphasized that Swaffer made all the possible attempts to regain control of the aircraft.
The jury foreperson confirmed that the helicopter had all necessary airworthiness and maintenance certificates and that Swaffer took all appropriate steps to try to recover the aircraft.
The inquest also heard that smoke inhalation caused the deaths of the four victims, while Lechowicz likely died at the moment of impact.
In a tribute read to the court by Srivaddhanaprabha’s family lawyer, the billionaire was described as “a good man with a good heart.” The family expressed their continued grief, stating, “We miss him every day. The pain his death caused and continues to cause our family is immeasurable.”
The family also paid tribute to Srivaddhanaprabha’s impact on Leicester City, particularly his role in the club’s shock Premier League title victory in 2016. Under his ownership, Leicester City defied the odds to claim the championship, with the club having been 5,000/1 rank outsiders at the start of the season.
