The president’s family files a legal complaint

The family of the former Leicester City chairman, who died along with four others in a helicopter crash, have launched a £2.15bn legal claim against the plane’s manufacturer.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died along with his traveling companions Kaveporn Punpare, Nusara Suknamai, pilot Eric Swaffer and his companion Izabela Roza Lechowicz in October 2018.

The compensation claim seeks to cover loss of income and other damages and is valued at more than £2 billion.

Law firm Stewarts, which represents the family, said it was “the largest fatal accident claim in English history”.

The accident occurred on 27 October 2018, around an hour into a home match against West Ham United, when the plane took off from the club’s King Power Stadium and crashed shortly afterwards.

Stewarts said High Court action was launched on Friday.

A The investigation into the deaths is about to begin. on Monday, more than six years later, with eyewitnesses, emergency services personnel and corporate witnesses ready to testify before a jury.

A report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), published in September 2023, discovered that the accident was “inevitable” after a sequence of mechanical failures, and said the pilot could have done “very little” to save everyone on board.

AAIB chief air accident inspector Crispin Orr said Swaffer did his best to control the Leonardo AW169 helicopter, but catastrophic failure of a tail rotor bearing caused the plane to swerve to the right.

As the helicopter, which had reached an altitude of about 131 meters (430 feet), was losing control, a shout of “hey, hey, hey” came from the rear cabin, where Vichai and his employees were sitting, the AAIB said. . .

In voice recordings from a plane, Mr. Swaffer was heard saying, “I have no idea what’s going on,” shortly before the helicopter crashed into a concrete step.

The investigation found that a worn bearing in the tail rotor had jammed after the helicopter took off.

The shaft controlling the tail rotor unscrewed and as a result detached itself, which in turn caused the helicopter to lose pilot control.

The AAIB report stated that the helicopter met “all applicable airworthiness requirements” and had been properly maintained before the accident.

According to inspectors, it was also discovered that rotor bearing wear had been accumulating over time and could not be predicted.

The bearing examination was only necessary after 400 hours of use, but the helicopter had only flown 331 hours when the accident occurred.

One of the “contributing factors” was that regulations do not require maintenance checks to compare the condition of used bearings with their original design, the AAIB said.

The involvement of drones and pilot error were ruled out.

Peter Neenan, Partner at Stewarts, said: “Leonardo’s clients include national militaries, air ambulances and other first responders around the world.

“It is essential that all operators of these helicopters have faith and trust in the machines.”

Vichai’s son Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, who took over as Leicester City chairman after his father’s death, said: “My family feels the loss of my father today more than ever. That my own children and their cousins ​​will never know.” His grandfather aggravates our suffering.

“We have reflected on the conclusions of the AAIB report and have thought carefully about how we wish to proceed,” he added.

A spokesperson for Leonardo UK said: “Leonardo has the deepest sympathy for those who lost their lives in the accident, all of whom were clearly loved by their families, friends and communities.

“Their deaths were an unquestionable tragedy. Leonardo is aware of the claim brought by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s family in the English High Court and is considering it with his legal advisors and insurers. Leonardo intends to defend this claim.”