The three-week inquest into the deaths of five innocent men and women who were killed in the Leonardo AW169 helicopter crash at Leicester City Football Club on 27 October 2018 will start on Monday 13 January 2025, more than six years after the accident. It will run until Friday 31 January and will take place before H.M. Senior Coroner for Leicester City & South Leicestershire, Professor Catherine Mason, and a jury, sitting at City Hall in Leicester.

Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (Chairman of Leicester City FC), Eric Swaffer, Izabela Lechowicz, Nusara Suknami and Kaveporn Punpara all needlessly lost their lives in this major aviation accident. Stewarts partners Sarah Stewart and Peter Neenan are instructed by the families of Khun Vichai, Eric and Izabela, and have instructed Philip Shepherd KC and Bajul Shah as counsel for the family of Khun Vichai.

These inquests have been on hold whilst the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) carried out their safety investigation into the disaster. In their detailed and damning 209-page air accident report published on 6 September 2023 the AAIB raised serious concerns about the safety of the helicopter.

Their report concludes that the crash was caused by the seizure of a key component located in the tail rotor, which Leonardo had identified in the design phase as being critical, and its failure catastrophic. This failure prompted a tragic sequence of further failures which drove the helicopter into an uncontrollable and accelerating spin until it crashed and erupted into flames.

The report is clear that there was nothing the pilot could have done to prevent the crash.

The Senior Coroner will hear from the victims’ families, eyewitnesses and emergency services as well as from the AAIB concerning their investigation, their safety recommendations and responses to them. The Senior Coroner can also expect to hear evidence from Leonardo (and others) on its response to the crash and whether it met the evolving requirements of the regulator.

The families hope that through the inquest they will finally get some answers about what happened on 27 October 2018. They will want to understand the obstacles the AAIB faced which led to their investigation spanning almost five years and they will want to see that the manufacturers are not hiding behind the regulator. The families hope that as part of this process the Senior Coroner will make recommendations to help prevent further, future deaths and the families will be able to take solace from knowing that such recommendations could prevent a similar disaster from ever happening again.

Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the son of Khun Vichai who succeeded his father as Chairman of Leicester City said:

Kate Lechowicz, the sister of Izabela, said on behalf of her family and Eric’s:

“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.”

Sarah Stewart, partner at Stewarts, said:

“The inquest is an important step towards justice and truth for the families of those killed in the Leicester City Football Club helicopter crash. After more than six years, they are about to get some answers on how this disaster happened and how the manufacturers have responded to the findings of the investigation. There are crucial lessons to be learned in relation to aviation risk and safety processes. The jury’s conclusions will not bring their loved ones back but there will be some solace in the hope that the findings lead to improved aviation safety.”