The helicopter’s pilot who lost control and crashed outside Leicester City’s stadium
On October 27, 2018, 53-year-old Eric Swaffer said this before the plane crashed outside the King Power Stadium.
He could have done “very little” to save people on board, according to the crash’s final investigation report.
Three of the victims’ attorneys stated that it “was an accident waiting to happen”.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the chairman of Leicester City, two of his employees, Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, as well as pilots and partners Mr. Swaffer and Izabela Roza Lechowicz, perished in the disaster.
According to the final report of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the disaster was brought on by a tail rotor bearing seizing.
The AAIB declared the disaster “inevitable” following a string of mechanical malfunctions.
Mr. Swaffer tried to manage the Leonardo AW169 helicopter as best he could, according to Crispin Orr, chief inspector of air accidents at the AAIB, but a catastrophic failure in a bearing in the tail rotor caused the aircraft to make a severe right turn.
The AAIB reported that as the helicopter, which had risen to a height of around 430 feet (131 meters), began to spin out of control, Mr. Vichai and his staff could be heard shouting “hey, hey, hey” from the rear cabin.
Shortly before the helicopter crashed onto a concrete step, Mr. Swaffer was overheard saying: “I’ve no idea what’s going on” in voice recordings from the aircraft.
Inspectors said four of the passengers survived the impact of the crash, but a fire that was caused by a “significant” fuel leak, proved fatal.
Four first responders were treated for injuries caused by the heat of the fire after they attempted to rescue those inside the helicopter.
Mr Orr said: “This was a tragic accident in which five people sadly lost their lives. Our thoughts are with their loved ones, and everyone affected.”
The 209-page final report took nearly five years to write following what the AAIB previously referred to as a “technically very complex” study.
Authorities from Canada, France, Italy and the US were also involved in the investigation because of where various significant components were manufactured.
The investigation discovered a worn bearing on the tail rotor had seized after the helicopter took off.
The shaft that controlled the tail rotor then unscrewed and became detached as a result, which in turn caused the helicopter to spin out of the pilot’s control.
The wear on the rotor bearing was also found to have built up over a period of time and could not have been predicted, according to the inspectors.
Examination of the bearing was only required once it had been used for 400 hours, but the helicopter had only been flown for 331 hours when the crash occurred.
One of the “contributory factors” was that regulations do not require maintenance checks to review the condition of used bearings against their original design, the AAIB said.
Drone involvement and pilot error were ruled out.
As a result of its examination, the AAIB has given the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) eight safety recommendations to “address weaknesses or omissions” in the rules for certifying big helicopters.
Just over an hour had passed since Leicester City and West Ham United’s Premier League match when the accident happened.
As a result, there was a nationwide and international outpouring of sorrow and condolences, and players from Leicester traveled to Thailand for Mr. Vichai’s funeral.
In 2022, a statue of Mr. Vichai was installed at the club, and his son Khun Aiyawatt “Top” Srivaddhanaprabha took over as chairman.
Three of the victims – Mr Vichai, Mr Swaffer and Ms Lechowicz – are being represented by law firm Stewarts.
In a statement released by the firm, Mr Vichai’s son Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: “My father trusted that he had bought a safe helicopter from a world-renowned manufacturer. Had he known what we know now he would never have risked his life in this machine.
“The pain this causes me and my family is immeasurable and as a family we continue to struggle every day with our grief at the loss of my father. He was a great inspiration to me personally and we all loved him very much.”
Litigation has already begun in Italy against helicopter manufacturer Leonardo on behalf of Mr Swaffer and Ms Lechowicz’s families, Stewarts said.
Peter Neenan, a partner in the company’s aviation team, said the crash “was an accident waiting to happen”.
A Leonardo spokesperson said the company extended its “sincere sympathies and deepest condolences” to those affected.
“The AAIB final report rightly concludes that Leonardo complied with all regulatory requirements in both the design and manufacture of the AW169,” the spokesperson said.
“The final report also recognises that Leonardo’s immediate actions after the accident, such as the implementation of additional safety checks, which were later adopted by EASA as mandatory special bulletins, have ensured that the global fleet of AW169s have continued to operate safely.”
Ms Lechowicz’s sister Kate said Mr Swaffer and her sister had been excited at the prospect of meeting their nephew – her son – who was born the day after their funeral.
“Nothing fills the hole they leave; my only consolation is that even now they fly high together,” she said.
Mr Swaffer’s mother Deborah Sutton said: “This, of course, is every mother’s worst nightmare and time is not healing. Eric and Izabela were an inseparable couple, devoted to each other and to their flying.”
Leicester City chief executive Susan Whelan said the club commended “the extensive and detailed body of work undertaken” by the AAIB, and hoped it would “contribute positively to the continued development of future aviation standards and safety”.
“The tragic events of 27 October, 2018, will forever be etched into the memory of the Leicester City family. It was a night we experienced the devastating loss of our beloved chairman, friends, colleagues, and family members,” she said.
“Yet, in our grief, a sense of unity and strength was forged. The extraordinary support and kindness that was extended to those affected, by communities across Leicestershire, football and the wider world will never be forgotten.”
