11th January 2025 – (Leicester) The family of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the late owner of Leicester City Football Club, has filed the largest fatal accident claim in English legal history, valued at £2.15 billion ($2.6 billion), following his death in a helicopter crash in October 2018. The claim, brought against helicopter manufacturer Leonardo S.p.A., highlights the ongoing grief felt by the family.
Vichai and four others tragically lost their lives when the helicopter crashed just outside the King Power Stadium. His son, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, expressed the profound impact of their loss, stating, “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.”
An inquiry conducted by the British government’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) concluded that a damaged tail rotor caused the crash and dismissed the possibility of pilot error. Aiyawatt, who succeeded his father as chairman of Leicester City, expressed his disillusionment, stating, “My father trusted Leonardo when he bought that helicopter, but the conclusions of the report into his death show that his trust was fatally misplaced. I hold them wholly responsible for his death.”
The claim seeks compensation for lost earnings and other damages, noting that King Power, Vichai’s company, generated over £2.5 billion in revenue annually, with net profits peaking at £237 million ($289 million) the year prior to his passing.
The Leonardo AW169 helicopter took off from the stadium following a Premier League match but tragically lost control at around 430 feet (130 meters), crashing into a concrete step. The inquiry attributed the incident to a seizure of the tail rotor duplex bearing, leading to the deaths of club employees Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, pilot Eric Swaffer, and Swaffer’s partner, Izabela Roza Lechowicz.
Peter Neenan, a partner at Stewarts law firm representing the family, characterised the AAIB report as “as damning a report as I have ever read.” In response, Leonardo expressed deep sympathy for the victims and their families, affirming its intention to defend the claim while noting that the AAIB report had not directed any recommendations against them. The company maintained that it met all regulatory requirements in the design and manufacture of the AW169 helicopter.
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