Inquests to be opened into deaths of Leicester City helicopter crash victims tomorrow 06/11/18

[davieG]

An inquest into the deaths of the five people who died in the Leicester City helicopter crash is to be opened tomorrow.

Mrs Catherine Mason, the senior coroner for Leicester City and South Leicestershire, is to open a hearing at the town hall in Leicester.

 

Leicester City owner and chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, died alongside his employees Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, 33, pilot Eric Swaffer, 53, and his girlfriend and co-pilot Izabela Roza Lechowicz, 46, in the crash on Saturday October 27 after the Foxes' 1-1 draw against West Ham.

 

 

Tomorrow would have been the 33rd birthday of Ms Suknamai.

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/inquests-opened-deaths-leicester-city-2183192

[davieG]

Leicester helicopter crash: 'Minimal chance' of survival for five on board
52 minutes ago

There was "minimal chance" for anyone to survive a helicopter crash outside Leicester City's stadium in which five people died, an inquest has heard.

Club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died alongside four others when the aircraft came down shortly after a match on 27 October.

Det Ch Supt David Sandall told the inquest an intense fire stopped anyone getting in or out of the cabin.

He said CCTV footage showed the helicopter "spinning out of control".

The Leicester City players joined Buddhist prayers for Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
Coroner Catherine Mason heard that Mr Sandall, of Leicestershire Police, was the senior identification manager.

He said CCTV footage taken from the tunnel on to the football pitch and mobile phone footage showed the helicopter taking off and spinning out of control.

The hearing at Leicester Town Hall was adjourned shortly after opening.

 

Two members of Mr Vichai's staff - Kaveporn Punpare and Nusara Suknamai - pilot Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz were also killed in the crash.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash having taken the wreckage to a facility in Farnborough, Hampshire.

The AAIB has also confirmed contents of the digital flight recorder survived the post-crash fire.

[Pwilky58]

Maybe the findings from the DFR will be submitted by the AAIB tomorrow for the inquest to go ahead ?