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Leicester helicopter crash: Expert reaches conclusion after analysing horror footage
THE helicopter carrying Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was operating without difficulty just moments before it crashed to the ground, according to an aviation expert.
Shocking CCTV shows Leicester City owner’s helicopter crash
The Leicester City owner’s helicopter took off from the King Power Stadium after Leicester’s 1-1 draw with West Ham on Saturday evening.
Shortly afterwards, it spiralled out of control before crashing in to the stadium’s car park and bursting into flames - killing everybody on board.
On board with Srivaddhanaprabha were Nursara Suknamai, Kaveporn Punpare, pilot Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz.
Expert David Learmount has now examined the horror footage and concluded nothing seemed to be wrong at the time off take-off.
"At lift-off you can't see anything that's abnormal, but it's an awkward job climbing out of a stadium because ideally you want some forward speed as well as continuing to climb,” he said.
“The pilot climbed very nearly vertically until he was above the height of the stadium and then started to turn to the right - it was very shortly after that control was lost.
"Just after he did a manoeuvre that seemed to be intended, he lost control."
An investigation will take place which is being led by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), with support from Leicestershire Police and other agencies.
They are expected to clear the wreckage from the site in the coming days.
One theory has suggested a police drone might have caused the crash.
However, they insist it was not in operation at the time the helicopter took off.
Leicestershire Police said: "We do deploy a drone for public safety purposes on some match days.
"However, we have confirmed that the drone was not in flight at the time the helicopter left the stadium on Saturday evening."