The inquest at Leicester City Hall in central England delved into the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Leicester City Football Club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, pilot Eric Swaffer, co-pilot and partner Izabela Lechowicz, and passengers Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare.
Senior coroner Catherine Mason directed the jury to “accept and follow” the conclusions of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which classified the crash as accidental.
Mark Jarvis, the principal inspector at the AAIB, revealed that the crash was caused by a mechanical failure in the tail rotor system. Specifically, a duplex bearing on the tail rotor critical for the helicopter’s stability had “seized and locked,” leading to the fatal incident.
The crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff outside Leicester City’s King Power Stadium in 2018, sent shockwaves through the football community and beyond. The inquest findings provide clarity on the mechanical malfunction that led to the tragic loss of life.
“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 on Tuesday 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.
The inquest heard that four victims died because of smoke inhalation after the fire broke out, while Lechowicz “likely died at the point of impact”.
In a tribute read to the court during the inquiry by the lawyer for Srivaddhanaprabha’s family, he was described as “a good man with a good heart”.
“We miss him every day,” the family said. “The pain his death caused and continues to cause our family is immeasurable.”
The family statement also paid tribute to his role in reviving Leicester’s fortunes and bankrolling their shock Premier League title triumph in 2016 after the club were 5,000/1 rank outsiders to be crowned champions at the start of that season.