Tuesday, January 14, 2025 - The inquest into the fireball helicopter crash outside Leicester City's stadium, which killed five people including the club's billionaire Thai owner, will begin today.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner of the Premier
League club, fellow passengers Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, pilot
Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz, also a professional pilot,
were killed in the crash on October 27 2018 next to the King Power Stadium.
The jury inquest, which will begin at Leicester Coroners'
Court sitting at Leicester City Hall, is expected to hear tributes to each
victim on Monday.
In a statement released through the lawyers representing the
victim's families, Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's son Aiyawatt, who succeeded his
father as chairman of Leicester City, said: 'My family embraces the inquest
process and look forward to the explanation into how and why my father lost his
life, and what has been done to ensure that other families will not suffer the
same terrible pain of loss that has been inflicted on us.'
Kate Lechowicz, Ms Lechowicz's sister, said: 'Waiting for
the inquest has been tormenting, leaving many unanswered questions and
frustrations lingering for over six years since the tragic loss of our Eric and
Izabela.
Aviation safety was close to their hearts, they will be
avidly watching this from afar keen to see changes that will prevent such
disasters in the future.
'Our children will never get to know their aunt and uncle,
the adventures they had, except through the pictures we have in our home and
the stories we tell from our memories. We still miss them terribly.'
It comes just days after Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's family's
legal representatives said a £2.15 billion legal claim has been launched over
the crash.
Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's family allege Leonardo S.p.A., which
manufactured the helicopter, is liable for his death.
It is seeking £2.15 billion in compensation for loss of
earnings as a result of the Thai billionaire's death, the pain he experienced
before he died, and funeral expenses, the Stewarts law firm said on Friday.
An investigation found the crash happened after the pilot's
pedals got disconnected from the tail rotor.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) also found
that the Leonardo AW169 helicopter reached an altitude of around 430 feet
before plummeting to the ground near the stadium after a match, where the
aircraft was rapidly engulfed in a post-impact fire.
The inquest, expected to last three weeks, will examine the
mechanical cause of the crash.
Jurors will hear from witnesses to the incident, emergency
services and the AAIB among others.
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