Newsweek - WordupNews, Newsbeat, Analysis, Business, Politics, Technology, Entertainment, Fashion, Sports

A mechanical failure caused a helicopter carrying the owner of Leicester City to spin out of control before it crashed, killing him and four others in 2018, an inquest has heard.

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 inquest into the crash, which opened today, heard that 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 and burst into flames.

Jon Rudkin, director of football at Leicester City who had known Mr Srivaddhanaprabha for eight years, described the moment the Leonardo AW169 helicopter started to “nosedive” after taking off at 8.37pm.

He said: “It held its position as it sometimes did. 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.”

Before the helicopter took off, Mr Rudkin told the inquest he saw the chairman wave and give him a thumbs up.

The inquest was shown an animation of the helicopter’s mechanical failure and was 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 conclusion was that the rotor duplex bearing experienced loading which resulted in pressures within that bearing which was sufficient to cause the lubrication to break down resulting in the bearing seizing and failing.”

He added the pilot had done everything he could have to try and avoid the crash.

The inquest also heard how police officers tried to smash the aircraft’s windscreen after it crashed, but wouldn’t have been able to break the “very strong structure” designed to withstand a bird strike at a speed of 180mph (290kph).

‘Caring and devoted’

As the inquest opened at Leicester City Hall on Monday, 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 family barrister Philip Shepherd KC, relatives called him “a great inspiration to us all and we all loved him very much”.

They added: “He was adored by everyone for his kind spirit, generosity, charm, sense of humour and intellect.”

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 statement in 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, Ms Suknamai, a former Miss Thailand contestant, was described at the inquest as a “pillar” of her family.

They said in a statement prepared by a lawyer: “This is the greatest loss for the family. We will never forget it.”

Last week, City’s owners launched a lawsuit against the helicopter’s manufacturer, Italian company Leonardo SpA for £2.15bn.

It’s the largest fatal accident claim in English history, according to the family’s lawyers, based on compensation for the loss of earnings and other damages, as a result of the billionaire’s death.

The inquest, which is expected to last up to three weeks, continues.

Source link