The pilot of the helicopter that crashed killing five people including Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha told passengers “I’ve no idea what’s going on” as the aircraft lost control.
Eric Swaffer, 53, spoke seconds before the helicopter hit the ground next to the King Power Stadium on October 27, 2018, according to an Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report.
Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, employees Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, Mr Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz – also a professional pilot – died when the helicopter came down and burst into flames shortly after taking off from the pitch.
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The Leonardo AW169 helicopter only reached a height of 430ft as the pilot’s pedals became disconnected from the tail rotor – resulting in a sharp right turn which was “impossible” to control.
The “catastrophic failure” caused it to spin around five times as someone in the rear cabin shouted “Hey, hey, hey!”, the AAIB said.
Mr Swaffer, who was a highly experienced pilot, responded by saying: “I’ve no idea what’s going on” and “uttered an exclamation”, according to the report.
It said he “performed the most appropriate actions” which included raising a lever to reduce the helicopter’s pitch angle and “cushion the impact”.
Four of the five occupants survived the initial impact – as it came to rest on its side – but died in a fire which broke out less than a minute later.
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The crash occurred around an hour after a Premier League match between Leicester and West Ham.
In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Foxes chief executive Susan Whelan said: “We commend the extensive and detailed body of work undertaken by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and welcome the publication of its report, in the hope it will contribute positively to the continued development of future aviation standards and safety.
“The tragic events of 27 October, 2018, will forever be etched into the memory of the Leicester City family. It was a night we experienced the devastating loss of our beloved Chairman, friends, colleagues, and family members.
“Yet, in our grief, a sense of unity and strength was forged. The extraordinary support and kindness that was extended to those affected, by communities across Leicestershire, football and the wider world will never be forgotten.
“As we near the fifth anniversary of the accident, the families and loved ones of Khun Vichai, Kaveporn, Nusara, Eric and Izabela remain always in our thoughts, as those we lost remain always in our hearts.
“As a club, we continue to feel the loss of Khun Vichai, who loved his club, the city it calls home and the communities it represents.
“Our ongoing commitment to Khun Vichai’s vision, led with the same passion and devotion by Khun Aiyawatt and the Srivaddhanaprabha family, will be our lasting tribute to the memory of those we lost, and a reflection of the ambition, dedication and sense of community that brought us all together under Khun Vichai’s leadership.”
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The AAIB inquiry found that the control system failed when a bearing in the tail rotor broke up.
Inspection of the bearing was only required once it has been used for 400 hours, and the helicopter had flown for 331 hours.
One of the “contributory factors” was that regulations do not require maintenance checks to review the condition of used bearings against their original design, the AAIB said.
The 209-page report ruled out drone involvement and pilot error.
The AAIB made eight safety recommendations to the European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) – whose rules for aircraft certification are mirrored by the Civil Aviation Authority in the 海角视频 – to “address weaknesses or omissions” in regulations for certifying helicopters.