A forensic pathologist has said it was “entirely possible” Khun Vichai and three other victims of the Leicester helicopter tragedy could have survived the crash had the resulting fire not occurred. Dr Michael Biggs spoke at the inquest which is looking into the deaths of five people who died in the 2018 disaster.
Dr Biggs, who carried out the post-mortems on all five victims, told the inquest at Leicester Coroners Court today (Wednesday, January 15) that Leicester City chairman Khun Vichai, staff members Kaveporn Punpare and Nusara Suknamai, and pilot Eric Swaffer, all died from the “inhalation of smoke resulting from combustion”. Pilot Izabela Roza Lechowicz was the only person onboard deemed to have died as a result of significant head and chest injuries.
Dr Biggs explained that his findings meant it was “possible” that head injuries suffered by those in the helicopter meant they could have been unconscious by the time the fire took hold. He revealed that Khun Vichai had suffered a “number of relatively minor traumatic injuries”, including a fracture to the lower spine and a head injury which had contributed to some bleeding around the brain.
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Nusara Suknamai, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Kaveporn Punpare, Izabela Lechowicz and Eric Swaffer all died in the tragedy
Outlining the injuries all the victims suffered, Dr Biggs said Eric Swaffer also suffered a lower spine fracture, a fracture of the sternum and injuries to his legs that were “not sufficient to cause death”. Dr Biggs said that his findings suggested that the deaths of those not killed in the crash impact happened “rapidly” in the enclosed space of the helicopter due to the inhalation of smoke.
The inquest was told Izabela Roza Lechowicz had on impact suffered a “significant injury” to the aorta, which is the largest artery in the body, as well as a significant skull fracture. Dr Biggs said either of these injuries were likely to cause death.
He said: “In my opinion Izabela would have died extremely quickly at the point of impact due to traumatic injuries rather than this being a case of smoke inhalation after the fire started.” Kaveporn Punpare and Nusara Suknamai both also suffered lower spine fractures, as well as head injuries and fractures to their rib cages.
At the end of his evidence, the jury asked Dr Biggs if the injuries to the passengers apart from Izabela were survivable without the fire. He said: “There is nothing of the other four individuals that inevitably would have been fatal.
“It is entirely possible, indeed likely, that had it not have been for the fire, [the injuries] would have been survivable.”
Police and emergency services work at the scene of the crash
(Image: Getty)
Also giving evidence at the inquest today was the former managing director of Sloane Helicopters, Jeremy Awenat. The company was responsible for the continued airworthiness and maintenance of the aircraft from February 2017 until the crash in October 2018.
Philip Shepherd KC, acting on behalf of the family of Khun Vichai, asked Mr Awenat whether the crash had come as a “great shock” for an aircraft that was to “all extents and purposes an aircraft in the very early stages of its life”. At the point of the crash, it had flown 330 hours.
Mr Awenat said: “It was a great shock to all of us I think, in the industry, not just at Sloane. Especially as we knew Eric Swaffer very well.”
The disaster was caused by a 5cm bearing which had fallen apart, causing the pilot to lose control while about 400ft above the King Power Stadium. The AAIB’s principal investigator Mark Jarvis gave evidence to the jury on Monday (January 13) in the form of a presentation on how the tail rotor worked and what led to the pilot losing control of it.
As Mr Swaffer began a right turn, almost instantly after this the tail rotor duplex bearing seized. This was due to a breakdown in the lubrication in the bearing. This caused Mr Swaffer to lose all control of the helicopter.
The inquest continues.
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