The family of Leicester City’s former owner, who was killed in a helicopter crash outside the club’s stadium in 2018, have launched a lawsuit against the company which made the aircraft.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s family are suing the Italian aerospace and defence company Leonardo SpA for £2.15bn – the largest fatal accident claim in English history, according to the family’s lawyers.
They are asking for compensation for loss of earnings and other damages, more than six years after the 60-year-old Thai billionaire was killed when the helicopter he was travelling in spun out of control shortly after takeoff.
In a statement, Srivaddhanaprabha’s son, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, said: “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 … 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.”
An inquest into the death of Srivaddhanaprabha, who was killed alongside three other passengers and the pilot in the crash on 27 October 2018 after a Premier League match, is due to begin on Monday.
A report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), published in 2023, said the crash was a “tragic accident” and that mechanical failure, through a worn ball bearing in the tail rotor, led to a loss of control shortly after takeoff from the King Power Stadium.
Four of the five people onboard were found to have survived the initial crash and died when the aircraft was engulfed in fire less than a minute later.
The legal team acting for Srivaddhanaprabha’s family said the seizure of the component in the tail rotor “prompted a sequence of further failures which drove the helicopter into an uncontrollable and accelerating spin until it crashed and erupted into flames”.
“The claim seeks compensation for the loss of earnings and other damages, valued at £2.15bn, which were the result of Khun Vichai’s premature death,” the statement said.
after newsletter promotion
“At the time of the crash, King Power, which was founded by Khun Vichai, was earning revenue in excess of £2.5bn per year and had a net profit which peaked at £237m the year before his death.
“That success was driven by Khun Vichai’s vision, drive, relationships, entrepreneurism, ingenuity and reputation. All of this was lost with his death.”
Leonardo SpA has been contacted for comment.
