The family of former Leicester City owner Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has launched a £2.15 billion legal claim against helicopter manufacturer Leonardo S.p.A., alleging it is liable for the crash that killed him and four others in October 2018. The lawsuit seeks compensation for loss of earnings, pain suffered before his death, funeral expenses, and other damages, according to PR firm Portland.
An Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) report found the crash was caused by the failure of a critical tail rotor component, which had been identified by Leonardo during the design phase as vital. Portland claims multiple design flaws and the omission of a key modification contributed to the crash, and Leonardo failed to warn customers about the risk.
The helicopter crashed shortly after taking off from King Power Stadium, reaching 430 feet before spinning uncontrollably and crashing. Post-mortem reports revealed that while four passengers survived the impact, they were burned alive when a fuel leak ignited a fire.
At the time of his death, Mr. Srivaddhanaprabha’s King Power Group earned over £2.5 billion annually. His family, including his son and current Leicester City chairman Khun Aiyawatt, expressed deep ongoing grief and criticized Leonardo for breaching their trust.
