Pilot's last words as helicopter carrying Leicester owner spun out of control

05 September 2023 , 23:01

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Pilot's last words as helicopter carrying Leicester owner spun out of control

The pilot of a helicopter that crashed and exploded, killing Leicester City’s owner, screamed: “I’ve no idea what’s going on” as it spun out of control.

Seconds later the helicopter, which had just taken off from the club’s pitch after a match, plunged to the ground. All five on board were killed – owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, employees Nusara Suknamai, 32, and Kaveporn Punpare, 33, pilot Eric Swaffer, 53, and his partner and professional pilot, Izabela Roza Lechowicz, 46.

The helicopter spun out of control after leaving Leicester's fixture against West Ham in October 2018 (CameraSport via Getty Images)

An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report has found the pilot’s pedals became disconnected from the tail rotor of the Leonardo AW169, which reached about 430ft before the October 2018 crash. This “catastrophic failure” led to a sharp right turn that was impossible to control and about five quick spins.

There was a shout of: “Hey, hey, hey!” from the cabin and experienced Mr Swaffer, replied: “I’ve no idea what’s going on.” The AAIB ruled out pilot error and said he carried out the most appropriate actions, including raising a lever to reduce the helicopter’s pitch angle and cushion the impact.

It landed on a concrete step on its left side. Four of the five survived the initial impact but were killed when it caught fire within a minute after a fuel leak. The AAIB found the control system failed because a bearing in the tail rotor broke up due to its ceramic balls sliding rather than rolling after a build-up of pressure. Adrian Cope, AAIB senior inspector for engineering, said: “The damage in that bearing built up over a period of time.”

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Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabh was killed in the crash (PA)

Bearing inspection was only required after 400 hours of use, but the helicopter had been flown for only 331 hours. A contributory factor for the crash was that maintenance checks to review the condition of used bearings against their original design are not required. Authorities from Canada, France, Italy and US, where significant parts were made, were involved in the probe.

The AAIB made eight safety recommendations to the European Aviation Safety Agency - whose rules are mirrored by the UK Civil Aviation Authority - to “address weaknesses or omissions” in regulations for certifying helicopters. Changes were made to the AW169 and AW189 fleets by the maker and EASA as investigators became aware of issues. A statue of Mr Vichai was unveiled at the stadium in April last year.

Dan Warburton