LONDON (AFP) – The helicopter crash that killed the owner of Premier League football club Leicester City was an accident, an inquest jury ruled.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others died when the Thai billionaire’s personal helicopter crashed and burst into flames shortly after taking off from the club’s King Power Stadium following a match in October 2018.
The inquest at Leicester City Hall in central England examined his death, along with those of the aircraft’s pilot, Eric Swaffer, his partner Izabela Lechowicz, and passengers Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare.
Senior coroner Catherine Mason told the jury before going to deliberate that they should “accept and follow” the findings of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) that the crash was accidental.
The principle inspector at AAIB Mark Jarvis told the inquest that a duplex bearing on the tail rotor – which contributes to stability – became “seized and locked” before the helicopter crashed and burst into flames.
“Our conclusion was that the pilot had done everything in his power to try to avoid and correct the situation he found himself in,” said Jarvis.
He added, “The helicopter was out of control. The only control the pilot had was on the rate of descent of the helicopter during extremely disorientating conditions.
“The pilot took quick action and took the only actions he could do and continued to try and take those actions. The pilot did everything possibly expected of him.”
The jury foreperson said that he and his fellow jurors concluded that “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,” he added.
