Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the former owner of Leicester City Football Club, tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash that occurred shortly after takeoff from the club’s King Power Stadium in October 2018. Alongside him, four other individuals perished in this devastating incident. Now, the family of Mr. Srivaddhanaprabha has initiated a substantial legal claim, seeking compensation amounting to £2.15 billion, which they assert is owed to them due to his untimely death.
The family’s legal representatives assert that Leonardo S.p.A., the manufacturer of the helicopter, bears responsibility for this tragedy. The claim seeks to recover losses stemming from the deceased’s earnings that would have been generated had he lived, as well as compensation for the pain and suffering endured prior to his death, as well as funeral expenses. The legal action was officially commenced following the release of a comprehensive 209-page report from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), which raised significant safety concerns regarding the helicopter’s design and operation.
According to the findings detailed in the AAIB report, the crash was attributed to the failure of a critical component located in the tail rotor, a design flaw that had been flagged by Leonardo during the initial stages of development. This component’s malfunction triggered a series of catastrophic failures that eventually caused the helicopter to spin uncontrollably and crash in a fiery blaze. The report highlighted multiple shortcomings in Leonardo’s design processes, indicating that crucial alterations made in other helicopter models had not been implemented for the specific aircraft in which Mr. Srivaddhanaprabha was flying. The family contends that this oversight could have potentially averted the disastrous loss of control that led to the fatal accident.
The AAIB’s investigation further concluded that there were no actions the pilot could have taken to prevent the crash. The helicopter had taken off from the center of the pitch around 7:30 PM on October 27, only to experience a sudden right yaw that worsened despite the pilot’s efforts to correct it. The aircraft ascended to approximately 430 feet before spiraling downward at a high rotation rate. Upon impact, it landed on its left side, resulting in significant damage to the fuselage and fuel tanks, leading to a severe fuel leak that ignited, engulfing the helicopter in flames.
While four individuals inside the helicopter survived the initial impact, they tragically succumbed to the ensuing fire, as indicated by reports from post-mortem examinations. At the time of the incident, Mr. Srivaddhanaprabha’s business, King Power, was thriving, generating over £2.5 billion in annual revenue, with a net profit of £237 million in the previous year.
The damages being sought by the family encompass various factors, including personal injuries suffered by Mr. Srivaddhanaprabha, bereavement damages as mandated by law, losses pertaining to his personal belongings, and the costs incurred for funeral and memorial arrangements. Additionally, they are pursuing compensation for the intangible losses, including the love and support that only a father and husband can provide, alongside past and future losses of income.
Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, who took over as chairman of Leicester City following his father’s death, expressed the profound impact of this loss on his family. He remarked, “My family feels the loss of my father as much today as we ever have done. That my own children and their cousins will never know their grandfather compounds our suffering. We have reflected on the conclusions of the AAIB report and thought carefully about how we wished to proceed.”
He emphasized that trust placed in Leonardo by his father when purchasing the helicopter was tragically misplaced, holding the company entirely accountable for the fatal incident. Peter Neenan, a partner at Stewarts law firm representing the family, stated, “The foundation of the claim brought against Leonardo is the independent AAIB report released in September 2023. Considering the purview of the AAIB’s mission is to report on safety and not to blame, the report was as damning a report as I have ever read.”
Neenan underscored the gravity of the allegations of defects and negligence throughout the helicopter’s design process, highlighting the essential need for operators of such aircraft—including national militaries, air ambulances, and first responders—to have unwavering confidence in the safety and reliability of their equipment.
World of sports 
Leave a comment