'I've no idea what's going on': Chilling final words of hero pilot as he fought to stop Leicester City helicopter crash

6 September 2023, 07:02 | Updated: 6 September 2023, 08:07

The crash happened in October 2018
The crash happened in October 2018. Picture: Getty/Facebook

By Emma Soteriou

The chilling last words of the helicopter pilot in a crash which killed the owner of Leicester City Football Club have been revealed.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Eric Swaffer, 53, said: "I've no idea what's going on" as the aircraft spun out of control.

He made the comment seconds before the helicopter hit the ground outside the club's King Power Stadium on October 27 2018, a report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) revealed.

Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was killed in the accident, along with employees Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, Mr Swaffer and his partner, Izabela Roza Lechowicz, who was also a professional pilot.

Four of the five occupants survived the initial impact, but there were no survivors after the helicopter caught fire in the space of a minute following a major fuel leak.

It happened shortly after the helicopter took off from the pitch, with it reaching an altitude of approximately 430ft before plummeting to the ground.

Read more: 'There are still hurdles to navigate': Government plan to overturn ban on onshore wind farms slammed as 'not far enough'

Read more: Disabled people out of work urged to get remote jobs, as ministers aim to cut benefits bill

Eric Swaffer
Eric Swaffer. Picture: Facebook

The pilot's pedals became disconnected from the tail rotor, resulting in the aircraft making a sharp right turn which was "impossible" to control, investigators found.

The AAIB described it as "a catastrophic failure", causing the helicopter to spin quickly, approximately five times.

As the helicopter plummeted to the ground, a shout of: "Hey, hey, hey!" came from the rear cabin, where Mr Vichai and his employees were seated, the AAIB said.

Mr Swaffer, who was a highly experienced pilot, responded by saying: "I've no idea what's going on" and "uttered an exclamation", according to the report.

The hero pilot "performed the most appropriate actions" which included raising a lever to reduce the helicopter's pitch angle and "cushion the impact".

The aircraft landed on a concrete step, crashing down on its left side.

The crash site
The crash site. Picture: Getty

The crash occurred around an hour after a Premier League match between Leicester City and West Ham United.

The AAIB inquiry found that the control system failed because a bearing in the tail rotor broke up due to its ceramic balls sliding rather than rolling, due to a build-up of pressure.

Asked if this was "an accident waiting to happen", Adrian Cope, AAIB senior inspector for engineering said: "It was a process which built up continuously.

"The damage in that bearing built up over a period of time."

Animation shows how Leicester owner's helicopter crashed

Inspection of the bearing was only required once it had been used for 400 hours, but the helicopter had only been flown for 331 hours when the accident happened.

One of the "contributory factors" for the crash was that regulations do not require maintenance checks to review the condition of used bearings against their original design, the AAIB said.

The 209-page report ruled out drone involvement and pilot error.

Fans paid tribute to the owner following the crash
Fans paid tribute to the owner following the crash. Picture: Getty

The AAIB's chief inspector of air accidents Crispin Orr said: "The AAIB has carried out an extensive investigation to establish why the accident happened and how safety can be improved."

Eight safety recommendations were made to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) - whose rules for aircraft certification are mirrored by the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK - to "address weaknesses or omissions" in regulations for certifying helicopters.

Authorities from Canada, France, Italy and the US were also involved in the investigation because of where various significant components were manufactured.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Lesley Joseph refuses to discuss Pauline Quirke's dementia diagnosis.

'I won't talk about her at the moment': Lesley Joseph refuses to discuss Pauline Quirke's dementia diagnosis

Ada Bikakci

Girl, 9, killed after being hit by London bus, as driver charged with driving while drunk or on drugs

Exclusive
A small group of secondary school pupils working on practical experiments in a chemistry lab.

Ministers should consider shortening school holidays and letting teachers work from home, union chief says

JD Vance

Free speech is 'in retreat' across Europe, claims JD Vance - as US brands it a 'bigger threat than Russia'

oxford street with shoppers

Two arrested in Oxford St 'celebrity romance scam' after victims coerced into sending £200k to 'well-known boyfriends'

What if Ukraine were the UK? Could you accept surrendering a fifth of our country to Putin after so much sacrifice?

What if Ukraine were the UK? Could you accept surrendering a fifth of our country to Putin after so much sacrifice?

Most expensive pint revealed.

Most expensive pint in UK pubs revealed

One of the UK's 'most wanted' men sentenced to 12 years in prison after drug dealer evaded police for four years

One of the UK's 'most wanted' fugitives jailed for 12 years after drug dealer hunted down by police in Portugal

Anne Hodgson, 87, and Olwyn Smith, 82, with Dreamboy Max Hunter

Care home residents 'delighted' at male stripper visit

Police at the scene on the Broadway in Stratford

Three men stabbed in east London after 'large brawl' breaks out - with one arrested

The Met Office has issued a weather warning.

Snow and ice could cause disruption tomorrow, as Met Office issues yellow weather warning

Hostages (L-R) Sasha Trufanov, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Yair Horn,

Hamas confirms names of Israeli hostages due for release on Saturday

Danielle McLaughlin's killer Baghat was finally found guilty today

Indian man is found guilty of raping and murdering Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughlin in a field in Goa

Starmer welcomes Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, to Downing Street

Starmer tells Zelenskyy Ukraine remains on 'irreversible path to NATO membership' as leaders share phone call

Kayaker Adrian Simancas after being briefly swallowed by a humpback whale

Kayaker breaks silence over 'terrifying' moment he was swallowed whole by humpback whale - then spat back out

William and Kate shared the sweet snap for Valentine's Day

Princess Kate and Prince William share sweet snap to mark Valentine's Day