'Sequence of failures' caused Leicester helicopter crash

A helicopter crash that killed Leicester City's chairman and four others was "inevitable" after a sequence of mechanical failures, an inspector has said.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has now published its final report on the crash near the King Power Stadium on 27 October 2018.

It concludes a tail rotor bearing seized, which in turn caused the crash.

The report added the pilot could do "very little" to save those on board.

The crash claimed the lives of Leicester City chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, two members of his staff - Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare - and pilots and partners Eric Swaffer and Izabela Roza Lechowicz.

Chief inspector of air accidents at the AAIB, Crispin Orr, said Mr Swaffer, 53, did what he could to control the Leonardo AW169 helicopter, but the catastrophic failure in a bearing in the tail rotor resulted in the aircraft making a sharp right turn.

In aircraft voice recordings, Mr Swaffer was heard to say: "I've no idea what's going on", shortly before the helicopter crashed into a concrete step.

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.

The report added two police officers who arrived at the scene one minute after the crash tried to smash the helicopter's windscreen with their batons, but failed.

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 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 AAIB report stated the helicopter complied with "all applicable airworthiness requirements" and had been maintained correctly before the crash.

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.

The AAIB has made eight safety recommendations to the European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) as a result of its investigation to "address weaknesses or omissions" in regulations for certifying large helicopters.

The crash occurred just over an hour after a Premier League match between Leicester City and West Ham United.

It sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes across the UK and abroad, with Leicester's players travelling to Thailand for Mr Vichai's funeral.

A statue of Mr Vichai was unveiled at the club in 2022, with the former chairman replaced by his son Khun Aiyawatt "Top" Srivaddhanaprabha.