HAUNTING FINAL MOMENTS
Final seconds from Leicester City chairman’s helicopter crash set to be revealed as investigators pull black box
HAUNTING final moments of the Leicester City owner and four others as they spun to the ground in a doomed helicopter could be revealed.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, 60, was killed in the fireball crash just minutes after taking off from the King Power stadium on Saturday.
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The Air Accident Investigation Branch confirmed today they had recovered the helicopter's black box from the wreckage.
It hold the 60-year-old's last moments before he died alongside beauty queen Nusara Suknamai and right-hand man Kaveporn Punpare.
Hero pilot Eric Swaffer died alongside his co-pilot girlfriend Izabela Roza Lechowicz.
He is believed to saved lives by steering the helicopter in a "dead man's curve" away from crowds.
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Smoke rises at Leicester City's King Power Stadium carpark where club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's helicopter crashed moments after taking off
WHAT IS A 'DEAD MAN'S CURVE'?
A 'dead man's curve' occurs when a helicopter's tail rotator stops working.
This makes the chopper almost uncontrollable as it starts to spin out of control.
If the pilot is flying too close to the ground or at a very slow speed, the pilot cannot perform an emergency procedure to stop any catastrophic incidents.
At a high altitude, a pilot is taught to turn the engine off, which will stop the helicopter from spinning.
It will be able to safely glide through the air with its primary rotor blades.
Former Royal Navy commando Harry Benson, 58, believes Swaffer became stuck in this 'terrifying' situation.
A spokesperson said: "We have inspectors here from all four air accident investigation disciplines: engineering, operations, flight data and human factors.
"We recovered the digital flight data recorder (voice and data) on Sunday afternoon and one of our inspectors travelled back to Farnborough with the recorder the same evening.
"Today, our inspectors in Farnborough will start working on the recorder, which was subject to intense heat as a result of the post-accident fire."
Srivaddhanaprabha's helicopter came down in a car park behind the King Power Stadium following a Premier League game between Leicester and West Ham.
The helicopter took off at around 8.45pm and nosedived in a ball of flames less than 200 yards away just seconds later.
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'HE WILL BE MISSED': Prince William pays tribute to tragic owner who had 'strong values'
PRINCE William has paid tribute to Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha after he died in a fireball helicopter crash along with four others.
The Duke of Cambridge said he was “lucky” to have known the businessman for several years and revealed he was “dedicated” to his family.
He also praised the Leicester owner for their “magical” season in 2016 when they won the Premier League.
The statement – released by Kensington Palace – said: “I was lucky to have known Vichai for several years.
“He was a businessman of strong values who was dedicated to his family and who supported a number of important charitable causes.
“He made such a big contribution to football, not least through Leicester City’s magical 2016 season that captured the imagination of the world.
“He will be missed by all fans of the sport and everyone lucky enough to have known him.”
BT Sport pundit Jake Humphrey pointed to the aircraft from the studio during a live broadcast at the stadium and said: “As you can see the owners are now heading off.”
A loud explosion could be heard on post-match analysis show Premier League tonight just moments later.
The crash was then confirmed by the host live on air and the programme brought to an early end as the crew was evacuated from the stadium.
Eyewitness Jo White, from Leicester, said: "We were about the last to leave, we left hospitality and were walking back to the car and we heard the helicopter lift off.
"We heard the noise and then it just went silent. It was the silence that made us look back.
"It was spinning and going up and down and around and round.
"We thought the pilot was messing about or doing an emergency drill.
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"Then it just dropped. There was no noise. It was an eerie silence."
Leicester had just played West Ham in a 1-1 draw in the Premier League. The 5.30pm kick-off finished at around 7.30pm.
Leicestershire Police has said the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) will now be leading the investigation into the circumstances of the helicopter crash.
It is also understood to be the first time an AgustaWestland AW169 aircraft has crashed, the manufacturer confirmed.
Leicester City players arriving at the King Power Stadium to pay tribute to owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who died in helicopter crash