Tributes pour in as 2018 Leicester City helicopter crash inquest begins
Getty Images/Facebook/InstagramMore than six years later, an inquest has opened and tributes have been paid to the five people killed in a helicopter crash outside Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.
On October 27, 2018, Fox Air Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died along with other passengers Kaveporn Punpare, Nusara Suknamai, pilot Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz.
An inquest at Leicester City Council has begun and is expected to last two to three weeks, with a jury determining who died and when, where and how they died.
In a pen portrait paying tribute to Mr Vichai, his family described him as a man of boundless energy and an instinctive entrepreneur.
Family lawyer Philip Shepherd KC read a eulogy in court and relatives said: “Khun Vichai was the leader of our family, a loving and devoted husband, father, uncle and grandfather. .
“We feel his loss as deeply today as ever. He was a good man with a kind heart. He was a huge inspiration to us all and we all loved him very much.
“Khun Vichai was beyond words. He had all the best qualities. He was adored by everyone for his kind spirit, generosity, charm, sense of humor and intelligence.”
The pen portrait ended with a video presentation on the court’s big screen, paying tribute to the role he played in reviving Leicester City’s fortunes, including the club’s adversity Won the Premier League title in 2016.
Pete WhiteA second eulogy described Mr Swaffer, 53, as a man who loved aviation and had a “wicked sense of humour”.
The report was read to the jury by his partner, the sister of Ms Lechowicz, 46, a pilot who also died in the crash.
Of Mr. Swaffer, Kate Lechowicz said: “He was a great person to have around. He had a deep love for aviation, technology, travel, motorcycles and life.
“There was nothing he didn’t try. He excelled in everything he did.”
ReutersRecalling her siblings, Ms Lechowicz said her “warm, loving and hard-working” sister was an “extraordinary person”.
“She exuded a zest for life but above all she was a dedicated pilot,” Ms Lehovich added.
“She has extensive global flying experience. She is the type of person who gets things done with grace and efficiency.”
In 2018, around 1,000 people from around the world attended the couple’s memorial service in Surrey.
To accommodate everyone, the ceremony had to be moved from the couple’s local church in Camberley to Guildford Cathedral.
Tributes were also paid to Kaveporn Punpare, who had a young daughter and was one of several housekeepers employed by Mr. Vichai.
A statement from his wife said he started out as an assistant housekeeper, accompanying his family on trips, but was promoted in 2015.
She said her husband will be loved and missed every day by his family.
Former Miss Thailand contestant Nusara Suknamai has been described as the “backbone” of her family.
“This is the family’s greatest loss. We will never forget it,” they said in a statement.
A report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), Published in September 2023The crash was found to be “inevitable” after a series of mechanical failures and said the pilots could have done “very little” to save everyone on board.
