The inquest into Leicester City’s tragic 2018 helicopter crash heard on Monday how police officers tried desperately to break the vehicle’s windscreen after it came down.
Five people including the club’s chairman Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, were killed in the accident which saw the helicopter engulfed in flames after crashing.
The aircraft had spun out of control just seconds after taking off from Leicester’ King Power Stadium, violently tailspinning into wasteland near the ground before being engulfed in flames.
Last week the club’s billionaire Thai owners launched a legal battle with the helicopter’s manufacturer, an Italian company called Leonardo SpA, seeking £2.15billion in compensation. It is the largest fatal accident compensation claim in English legal history.
A report in September 2023 found that there were safety concerns regarding the aircraft, that Leonardo could have made important modifications to prevent the crash, and that the the pilot was unable to prevent the crash following a tail rotor failure. It found the crash to be ‘inveitable’ and said the pilot could have done ‘very little’ to stop it.
At Monday’s inquest, jurors were shown footage of two police officers, who had been driving nearby, arriving at the scene within a minute of the crash.
The inquest into the helicopter crash which killed Leicester chairman Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others in 2018 has begun
The inquest heard how police officers tried to break the windscreen of the aircraft after it came down (pictured: pilots Eric Swaffer and Izabela Roza Lechowicz)
The helicopter had come to rest on its left-hand side and neither of the doors could be accessed.
Thus, one of the officers used a baton to try and break the windshield to see if they could help.
However, the coroner was told Catherine Mason was told that the windshield was a ‘very strong structure’ designed to withstand crashing into a bird at 180mph.
In a statement released ahead of the inquests, Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the son of Khun Vichai, who succeeded his father as Chairman of Leicester City, said: ‘My family embraces the inquest process and look forward to the explanation into how and why my father lost his life, and what has been done to ensure that other families will not suffer the same terrible pain of loss that has been inflicted on us.’
Kate Lechowicz, the sister of Izabela Lechowicz, added on behalf of the Lechowicz and Swaffer families: ‘Waiting for the inquest has been tormenting, leaving many unanswered questions and frustrations lingering for over 6 years since the tragic loss of our Eric and Izabela.
‘Aviation safety was close to their hearts, they will be avidly watching this from afar keen to see changes that will prevent such disasters in the future. Our children will never get to know their aunt and uncle, the adventures they had, except through the pictures we have in our home and the stories we tell from our memories. We still miss them terribly.’
The pen portrait of Mr Srivaddhanaprabha continued: ‘His positive energy was contagious and he maintained that through hard work and discipline. He was always two steps of everyone else.
‘Khun Vichai was a man of honour. Those who worked with him and signed a contract with him got his word….He made sure he signed all his staff’s birthday cards.
‘He always mentioned to us the importance of his staff. He showed no signs of slowing down.
Fellow passengers Nusara Suknamai (right) and Kaveporn Punpare (left) died in the crash
The helicopter, which was deemed to have had safety concerns in 2013, set on fire after falling
A report in 2023 deemed that the crash had been ‘inevitable’ due to safety failings
Extensive tributes were laid outside the King Power Stadium in the wake of the tragedy
‘In 2004 he established the King Power Foundation which supports adults with mental health problems and disadvantaged children.
‘He also established Leicester City’s Foxes Foundation which aims to support local and national causes. Since it’s formation in 2011-12 the foundation has raised almost £2m for local charities.’
In the 2023 report, a haunting cry from the pilot, Eric Swaffer, 53, was revealed from when the helicopter was spinning out of control.
‘I’ve no idea what’s going on,’ he had cried.
Under Srivaddhanaprabha’s ownership after he bought them in 2010, Leicester City were promoted to the Premier League in 2014, stayed up in 2015, and won the title against 5,000-1 odds in 2016.
He, pilot Swaffer, his employees Nusara Suknamai, 32, and Kaveporn Punpare, 33, and Swaffer’s partner and professional pilot, Izabela Roza Lechowicz, 46, all died.
The inquest, which is expected to last three weeks, will examine the mechanical cause of the crash.
