Leicester City helicopter crash pilot families sue rotor company

(Left to right): Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Kaveporn Punpare, Nusara Suknamai, Izabela Lechowicz and Eric Swaffer

The families of two people who died in a helicopter crash that also killed the owner of Leicester City are suing a firm that made parts for the aircraft.

Pilots and partners Eric Swaffer and Izabela Lechowicz died along with Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and two others at the King Power Stadium in 2018.

Papers filed with the District Court of Massachusetts allege failures by US company Raytheon.

An interim crash report pointed to a failure in the tail rotor system.

Mr Swaffer was in an "aviation love story" with Ms Lechowicz, a friend said

Mr Swaffer and Ms Lechowicz, along with Mr Vichai and employees Kaveporn Punpare and Nusara Suknamai, died when the chairman's helicopter crashed and exploded moments after taking off at the stadium on 27 October.

The papers say the families are seeking an unspecified amount of compensation.

As well as the financial loss, the families want compensation for the "conscious pain and suffering and severe terror" suffered in the crash.

Among the allegations are that Raytheon "negligently designed, manufactured, assembled and sold the Tail Rotor Actuator such that the Accident Aircraft's Tail Rotor Actuator control shaft was subject to disconnection from the actuator lever mechanism".

The papers state: "As a direct and proximate result thereof, the accident aircraft entered an uncontrollable right yaw, contrary to the pilot's left pedal command, and was caused to fly into the ground and violently crash."

The papers were issued on 26 October, so the company has not yet had the opportunity to file a defence.

Raytheon has been approached for comment by the BBC.

A public memorial for Mr Swaffer and Ms Roza Lechowicz was held in Surrey

An interim Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) report into the crash found cockpit pedals had disconnected from the tail rotor, which had caused the helicopter to spin out of control.

The final report into the crash has yet to be released but Crispin Orr, chief inspector of air accidents, said it would be published "as soon as we're able".

He added: "It is now three years since the tragic helicopter accident in Leicester and our thoughts are of the five people who sadly lost their lives that evening, their families and all of those affected by their loss.

"The AAIB has conducted an extremely thorough and detailed investigation that has proven to be technically very complex and which is still ongoing."

The club has recently marked the third anniversary of the crash