Family of former Leicester City owner sues helicopter maker Leonardo for £2.15bn
The family of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, former owner of Leicester City, has filed a £2.15 billion lawsuit against Leonardo S.p.A. over the fatal crash of the AW169 helicopter in 2018. The legal action alleges a defective design in the aircraft’s rear rotor component caused the accident, marking a potentially significant case for the aerospace industry
The family of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, former owner of Leicester City, has filed a lawsuit for £2.15 billion (equivalent to $2.63 billion) against Leonardo S.p.A., the manufacturer of the helicopter involved in the crash that claimed the Thai businessman’s life in 2018. According to a report by AFP, the legal action was initiated last Friday in the High Court of London.
The accident occurred on October 27, 2018, when Srivaddhanaprabha’s Leonardo AW169 helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from the King Power Stadium, owned by Leicester City. The crash resulted in the deaths of the businessman and four other individuals. The family claims the manufacturer is liable due to a defective design in a key rear rotor component, which they allege caused the tragic accident.
Technical report details
An investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), cited by AFP, concluded that the crash was caused by the failure of a critical rear rotor component. This issue—described by Leonardo as catastrophic during the design phase—led to a chain of failures, resulting in a complete loss of control of the aircraft.
The report stated that the pilot was unable to take any action to prevent the crash. According to Stewarts Law, the family’s legal representatives, the defective component’s design was the root cause of the accident, forming the basis of their lawsuit.
Below is a video created by the AAIB illustrating how the accident occurred:
Before his death, Srivaddhanaprabha led the King Power group, a company generating annual revenues exceeding £2.5 billion, with net profits of £237 million in the year prior to the accident. His son, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, current chairman of Leicester City, expressed deep sorrow over the loss and its lasting impact on the family.
“My family feels the loss of my father as deeply as on the first day,” Aiyawatt stated, as cited by AFP. “We trusted Leonardo when we purchased that helicopter, but the findings of the report show that trust was fatally misplaced.”
The family seeks financial compensation for lost income following Vichai’s death, funeral costs, and the pain he endured before passing. They argue that errors in the helicopter’s design and the lack of preventive measures make Leonardo S.p.A. responsible for the tragic incident.
Industry implications
The outcome of this case could establish a precedent in the aerospace industry, particularly regarding responsibility in the design and maintenance of aircraft.
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