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An inquest jury has concluded that the helicopter crash in which five people were killed at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium was an unfortunate accident. The passengers that lost their lives in the crash were the football club’s chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Kaveporn Punpare, Nusara Suknamai, pilot Eric Swaffer, and Mr Swaffer’s partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz. The jurors found that the helicopter was in possession of “all its appropriate airworthiness and maintenance certificates”. They further concluded that Mr Swaffer took the necessary measures to attempt to regain control of the helicopter.
It has been confirmed by the relatives of Mr Srivaddhanaprabha that despite the inquest’s outcome, they are pursuing a legal claim against the aircraft’s manufacturer, Leonardo. The names of the deceased and the reason for their deaths were not in dispute; pathologist Dr Michael Biggs confirmed that Ms Lechowicz died from the injuries sustained from the impact of the crash while the other four who were on board would have died “quite rapidly” from smoke inhalation. The fuel tanks had ruptured in the impact, creating a “substantial” spill that was ignited at the rear of the helicopter.
Prof Catherine Mason, who was the coroner presiding over the case, praised the emergency service responders who attended the scene. While reading out the conclusion, she also said that the deaths of the five people in the crash would be borne by their families for the rest of their lives, and that was a loss that is also felt by the Leicester community. She stated that issuing a prevention of future deaths report would be considered in the coming weeks.
The AAIB published a final report in September 2023, blaming a seized tail rotor bearing in Leonardo AW169 helicopter for causing the crash. Eyewitnesses reported that the aircraft took off as usual following the club’s 1-1 home draw with West Ham United before it began spinning out of control as a mechanical failure led Mr Swaffer to lose control of the tail rotor. At this point, a crash was “inevitable”, the inquest heard, and the helicopter came to rest on its side on a concrete step between two car parks outside the stadium
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