Aircraft manufacturer denies responsibility for Leicester City owner’s fatal helicopter crash

Srivaddhanaprabha's widow and four children are suing for up to £2.15 billion

Aircraft manufacturer Leonardo has denied responsibility for the helicopter crash that killed Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, stating its AW169 model is safe.

The family of Thai businessman Srivaddhanaprabha, who founded duty-free retailer King Power, are suing Leonardo for up to £2.15 billion ($2.89 billion) at London's High Court over the crash.

Best known as the owner of the club which defied odds of 5,000/1 to win the Premier League in 2016, Srivaddhanaprabha's helicopter crashed shortly after taking off outside Leicester City's King Power stadium, before bursting into flames on 27 October, 2018.

An inquest jury concluded in January that the deaths of Srivaddhanaprabha, two members of his staff, pilot Eric Swaffer and Swaffer's partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz were accidental.

Srivaddhanaprabha's widow and four children filed their case in January, claiming loss of earnings and other damages. The family's lawyers declined to comment on Leonardo's defence.

Leonardo said in its written defence, which was made public last week, that it bore no liability for the incident, which was "the first and only crash involving an AW169" and that no regulatory authority has deemed the model unsafe to fly.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's helicopter crashed shortly after taking off outside Leicester City's King Power stadium, before bursting into flames on 27 October, 2018 (PA Wire)

It also said Srivaddhanaprabha would likely have survived if the pilot had conducted a controlled landing, which would have prevented the helicopter catching fire.

"While Leonardo has every sympathy for the Srivaddhanaprabha family, Leonardo does not consider that the claims that have been brought against it are made out as a matter of either fact or law," the company said in its defence, dated 1 December.

Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said in a 2023 report that it had not been possible for the pilot to recover from a tail rotor failure.

Leonardo said it disputes the report, pointing out that no safety recommendations were addressed to the company.