The deaths of five people, including Leicester City’s owner, in a helicopter crash were accidental, an inquest jury has ruled.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, referred to in court as Khun Vichai, died in the crash along with two of his staff, Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, pilot Eric Swaffer, and Mr Swaffer’s girlfriend Izabela Roza Lechowicz, a fellow pilot.
The jury delivered its verdict on Tuesday after being previously instructed to conclude that the crash was accidental.
Philip Shepherd KC, representing the relatives of Khun Vichai, said those who died were the “innocent victims of a tragic accident that never needed to happen”.
His son Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, described his father as “one-of-a-kind, an investor in dreams” and said: “We miss him and feel his loss every day.”
“My father trusted in the design of this helicopter,” he said in a statement. “It wasn’t safe. It was a death trap.”
As the helicopter was leaving the King Power Stadium in Leicester on 27 October 2018, a fault caused it to spin “rapidly” out of control before it crashed outside the stadium and burst into flames, the inquest heard.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others died when their helicopter crashed in 2018. Pic: PA
Jon Rudkin, Leicester City’s director of football, who had known Mr Srivaddhanaprabha for eight years, described the moment the Leonardo AW169 helicopter started to “nosedive” after taking off at 8.37pm.
“It held its position as it sometimes did,” he said. “As it turned it continued to turn and then go into a spin.
“As soon as it went on that first full circle, I thought this was strange.
“It then started to nosedive away from the stadium still rotating in the air.”
Tributes at a memorial outside Leicester City’s ground after the crash. Pic: AP
Mr Rudkin told the inquest he saw the chairman wave and give him a thumbs up before the helicopter took off.
The inquest was shown an animation of the helicopter’s mechanical failure and told a duplex bearing on the tail rotor became “seized and locked”, which caused the actuator control shaft to spin “very fast”.
Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) principal inspector Mark Jarvis said the pilot had done everything he could to try to avoid the crash.
The inquest also heard how police officers tried to smash the aircraft’s windscreen after it crashed, but would never have been able to break the “very strong structure” designed to withstand a bird strike at a speed of 180mph (290kph).
Nusara Suknamai was among those who died in the crash
Sergeant Michael Hooper said he could hear the helicopter’s trapped pilot, Mr Swaffer, shouting: “Get me out of here, help me.”
The crashed helicopter was resting on its left-hand side, meaning neither side door could be opened. A fuel leak then caused the aircraft to catch fire.
PC Stephen Quartermain became emotional as he remembered realising “the people were going to die”.
Ms Lechowicz died from injuries sustained when the helicopter hit the ground – but the other four victims initially survived the crash, and were killed by smoke inhalation from the fire, a pathologist told the inquest.
Following the jury’s verdict, Mr Shepherd said while no part of the inquest attributed blame, the evidence “told a story of basic engineering failures” by the helicopter’s manufacturer Leonardo.
“The causes of this tragedy can be traced back to fundamental design errors and the failure to mitigate known risks,” he said.
Prince William and Kate visited the stadium to pay their respects in the wake of the crash. Pic: AP
“The inquest heard evidence that the design was such that it was a matter of time before something catastrophic occurred. It was an accident waiting to happen.”
‘Caring and devoted’
As the inquest opened at Leicester City Hall, the jury heard pen portraits of the victims, with Mr Srivaddhanaprabha described as a “caring and devoted husband, father, uncle and grandfather”.
In a tribute read by Mr Shepherd, relatives called him “a great inspiration to us all” and said: “We all loved him very much.”
They added: “He was adored by everyone for his kind spirit, generosity, charm, sense of humour and intellect.”
A statue of Mr Srivaddhanaprabha now stands outside the King Power Stadium. Pic: PA
Kate Lechowicz, Ms Lechowicz’s sister, described her in a statement as an “extraordinary individual” who “exuded a passion for life” and who “accomplished her task with grace and efficiency”.
Kate Lechowicz also read a tribute to the helicopter’s pilot, Mr Swaffer, and said: “He was great company. He had profound love for aviation, technology, travel, his motorbike and life in general.”
Tributes were also paid to passenger Kaveporn Punpare, who had a young daughter and was one of several butlers employed by the late Leicester City chairman.
A statement prepared for the inquest by his wife said he had initially worked for Mr Srivaddhanaprabha as an assistant butler who accompanied family members on trips.
Meanwhile, Nusara Suknamai, an employee of Khun Vichai’s, was described as a “pillar” of her family.
Speaking to Sky News, her father, Viroj Suknamai, said: “She was a lively person, she was the breadwinner of the family.
“She was the one who looked after the family and after she passed away we have had difficulties financially.”
Ms Suknamai was a former Miss Thailand contestant.
Her father said: “I remember all the good memories that we had together, I remember when she was in the beauty pageants, I was the one who would drive her there.
“If she was still here today she would’ve had a very bright future ahead of her, she could have done many more things in her life.”
Before the start of the inquest, Mr Srivaddhanaprabha’s family launched a £2.15bn lawsuit against the helicopter’s manufacturer, Italian company Leonardo SpA.
It is the largest fatal accident claim in English history, according to the family’s lawyers. The sum is for loss of earnings and other damages as a result of the billionaire’s death.