Leicester City helicopter crash deaths accidental, inquest jury concludes
A jury heard evidence over two weeks about the fatal helicopter crash outside the King Power Stadium in Leicester.
The deaths of five people who were killed after a helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium and became engulfed in flames were accidental, an inquest jury has concluded.
Former Leicester City FC owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, referred to in court as Khun Vichai, was killed with the helicopter’s pilot Eric Swaffer, his partner and co-pilot Izabela Lechowicz, and passengers Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare.
The Leonardo AW169 helicopter spun out of control after it took off from the pitch at 8.37pm after a match between Leicester City and West Ham on October 27 2018.
The jury of 11 people, who heard evidence over two weeks, concluded on Tuesday that the deaths were accidental.
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.”
Senior coroner Catherine Mason paid tribute to the people who died in the crash, and said: “Five innocent lives were cruelly lost on October 27 2018, lives that were cut too short.
“This huge loss will be borne by the families for the rest of their lives, a loss that is also felt by the community of Leicester.
“It has been a long journey. Just over six years for you, the families, to get the answers you wanted as to how your loved ones came by their deaths.
“I hope you feel through these inquests that you now have a voice.”
She told the court she will give “serious consideration” to issuing a prevention of future deaths report.
The inquest heard that the helicopter began to spin when Mr Swaffer tried to do a right-hand turn over the stadium to take Khun Vichai and the other passengers to Stansted Airport.
The jury had been told that an Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report found that the helicopter began uncontrollably spinning when a bearing in the tail rotor “seized” after its lubrication broke down.
The aircraft landed on its left-hand side on a 0.5m concrete step, causing a fuel leak which ignited and “rapidly” engulfed the helicopter in flames.
The inquest had heard evidence from two police officers, who arrived at the scene after they saw the helicopter spin and heard a “loud crunch” as it hit the ground.
Sergeant Mike Hooper of Leicestershire Police described seeing a “wall of flames” while he tried to smash the aircraft’s windscreen with his baton, but the inquest heard it was a “very strong structure” designed to withstand a 180mph bird-strike.
Ms Mason praised the emergency service workers who responded to the crash.
She said: “From what I have heard in evidence and indeed saw with my own eyes in part, is that large numbers of extremely brave men and women selflessly strived to deal with the aftermath of this crash.”
The jury had heard that the cause of death of four of the five, including Khun Vichai, was smoke inhalation, and that it was likely they would have survived their injuries if the fire had not started.
The cause of Ms Lechowicz’s death was given as “significant” head and chest injuries, and she would have died “extremely quickly” after the helicopter crashed into the ground.
