Pilot could do ‘very little’ to prevent fatal crash – BBC News

The pilot of the helicopter which crashed outside Leicester City stadium killing five people, including its chairman, said ‘I have no idea what’s going on’ as the helicopter spiraled out of control.

Eric Swaffer, 53, made the comment before the helicopter crashed to the ground outside King Power Stadium on October 27, 2018.

The final report on the accident has been published.

He concluded that 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 team – Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare – as well as drivers and partners Mr Swaffer and Izabela Roza Lechowicz.

The final report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) states that a tail rotor bearing seized up, which caused the crash.

The AAIB said the accident was “inevitable” after a series of mechanical failures.

AAIB Chief Air Accident Inspector Crispin Orr said Mr Swaffer had done what he could to control the Leonardo AW169 helicopter, but the catastrophic failure of a tail rotor bearing resulted in a sharp right turn.

As the helicopter – which had reached an altitude of around 430ft (131m) – spun out of control, a shout of “hey, hey, hey” came from the rear cabin, where Mr Vichai and his employees were seated , said the AAIB. .

In voice recordings from the plane, Mr Swaffer was heard saying, “I have 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 caused by a “significant” fuel leak proved fatal.

Four first responders were treated for injuries caused by the heat of the fire after trying to rescue people inside the helicopter.

The report adds that two police officers who arrived at the scene a minute after the crash attempted to smash the windshield of the helicopter with their batons, but were unsuccessful.

Mr Orr said: “This is a tragic accident in which five people unfortunately lost their lives. Our hearts go out to their loved ones and to all those affected. »

Authorities in Canada, France, Italy and the United States were also involved in the investigation due to the manufacturing location of various important components.

Investigation revealed that a worn bearing on the tail rotor had seized after the helicopter took off.

The shaft that controlled the tail rotor then unscrewed and broke off, causing the pilot to lose control of the helicopter.

The AAIB report said the helicopter complied with “all applicable airworthiness requirements” and had been properly maintained before the accident.

Rotor bearing wear was also found to have accumulated over time and could not have been predicted, inspectors said.

The bearing review was not required until after 400 hours of use, but the helicopter had only flown 331 hours when the accident occurred.

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

Drone involvement and pilot error were ruled out.

The AAIB has issued eight safety recommendations to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) following its investigation to “address weaknesses or omissions” in the regulations for the certification of large helicopters.

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

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

A public memorial for Mr Swaffer and Ms Lechowicz was held at Guildford Cathedral in 2018.

Kate, Ms Lechowicz’s sister, said ‘they were just an incredible couple and amazing pilots’.

In a statement on Wednesday, Leicester City chief executive Susan Whelan said the club welcomed “the thorough and detailed work undertaken” by the AAIB and hoped it would “contribute positively to the continued development of future standards and aviation safety”.

“The tragic events of October 27, 2018 will forever be etched in the memories of the Leicester City family. It was a night we experienced the devastating loss of our beloved Chairman, our friends, colleagues and members of our family,” she said.

“Yet in our grief a sense of unity and strength was forged. The extraordinary support and kindness shown to those affected by communities in Leicestershire, football and around the world will never be forgotten.”