UK Inquest To Assess Causes of AW169 Helicopter Fatal Accident | Aviation International News

UK Inquest To Assess Causes of AW169 Fatal Accident

Family of passenger killed has filed a lawsuit seeking damages from manufacturer Leonardo

AW169 that crashed in UK — © James from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor

January 13, 2025

An inquest into the deaths of five people killed when a Leonardo AW169 helicopter crashed at an English soccer stadium on Oct. 27, 2018, opened in Leicester today. In a hearing expected to run through January 31, a senior coroner and a jury will assess the causes of the deaths of Leicester City Football Club chairman Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha; fellow passengers Nusara Suknamai, Kaveporn Punpare, and Izabela Lechowicz; and pilot Eric Swaffer.

The inquest began three days after Khun Vichai’s family filed a lawsuit in England’s High Court against Leonardo, the helicopter's manufacturer, claiming £2.15 billion ($2.6 billion) in damages for his death. In a statement issued on January 10, Leonardo expressed its deepest sympathy for those who lost their lives, saying it will defend the claim and is considering the matter with legal advisers and insurers.

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Leonardo AW169

Leonardo

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