UK, Leicester, football team owner's helicopter crashed at stadium 10/27/2018

[Spellbound]

the football club owner's helicopter was taking off after a game and it got only a few feet in the air before it crashed into the staff parking lot; it exploded on impact and went up into a fire ball.

Leicester City owner’s helicopter crashes in car park after match

A helicopter believed to be carrying Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, Leicester City’s chairman, crashed outside the King Power Stadium following Leicester’s home draw with West Ham United on Saturday night.

Eyewitness reports indicated that the helicopter only just cleared the roof of the stands, stayed in the air briefly and spiralled down to earth after reportedly developing a fault with its tail rotor. A huge fireball erupted and the air smelt of burning fuel in the hours after the crash. Emergency services rushed to the scene to tackle the fire and search the wreckage, with the area eventually cordoned off by Leicestershire police.

It is understood that the helicopter fell outside a fence surrounding the stadium perimeter. However it crashed on land owned by the club, landing near car park E, which is used by Leicester’s staff. It is unclear whether the helicopter landed on any objects or if any bystanders were injured by the crash. The areas around the stadium had largely emptied after the game. West Ham’s squad were already on their way back to London at the time.

 

[badgersmythe]

Leicester City owner's helicopter crashes outside club's King Power Stadium
Leicester City owner's helicopter crashes outside club's King Power Stadium

 

[badgersmythe]

Leicester City owner's helicopter crashes leaving stadium Leicester City owner's helicopter crashes

 

[badgersmythe]

The mail are confirming it was the owner who was aboard, but I won’t believe this until I read it from another source.

Leicester City owner's helicopter crashes in car park of King Power


Leicester City owner's helicopter crashes in car park of King Power Stadium | Daily Mail Online

 

[Jasper52]

Oh, how horrifying.

 

[Spellbound]

Thanks for finding better articles and coverage, badger.

I am surprised I have not seen this on our news channels

 

[Spellbound]

Long, with a lot of pics and details


Leicester owner's helicopter crashes in King Power Stadium car park - latest updates

Emergency services rushed to the scene and Leicester players and staff, including their goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, former Leicester and England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and distressed supporters were seen in tears as the fire raged near the car park.

Shilton’s wife, Stephanie, said: “We are both in shock on our way home. It happened straight in front of us as we were leaving the ground. We don’t know what has happened. It’s horrendous. We need to know if everyone is OK. That’s the biggest thing. We just hope that everyone got out OK.”

[another eyewitness:]
“It was spinning very quickly. The helicopter didn’t fall in the [fans’] car park. It fell inside the territory of the stadium. The car park is very close,” he said.

“One of the policemen ran straight away to the helicopter and another got out a fire extinguisher. The first policeman was trying to break the glass of the helicopter, the window, then in this moment I saw a women in tears crying out loud because I think the helicopter just missed her, she was about 20 metres away

"A policeman asked me to stop filming because someone was in the helicopter.”

Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, a father of four who owns the Thai duty free company King Power, travels to every home game in his private helicopter and frequently takes off from the pitch’s centre-circle after games to return to his Berkshire base. But on this occasion the take-off has ended in a tragedy, with Leicester unable to confirm on Saturday whether there were casualties

 

[JudgeJudi]

The helicopter of Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has crashed after the Premier League football match against West Ham on Saturday night, leading to fears there would be no survivors.

While there was no official statement immediately forthcoming about who was on board, or their condition, the BBC reported a source close to the family as saying the club's 60-year-old chairman was on the helicopter. However, the news had yet to be confirmed early on Sunday.

It is understood that it took more than 20 minutes for the flames to be extinguished before emergency services were able to survey the wreckage.

There were unconfirmed reports the accident was a result of a mechanical failure but details were still scarce late on Saturday night. However, it was understood that Leicester’s vice-chairman, Aiy-awatt Srivaddhanaprabha, who is the owner Vichai’s son, was not present at Saturday’s game.

“The fire just started and then there was an explosion. The policemen tried to calm down the fire. The police response was very quick. This all happened in less than one minute, then I could hear all the police coming around the stadium. They hadn’t left yet after the match".

Leicester owner's helicopter crashes in King Power Stadium car park - latest updates

 

[1&2&3]

A horrific accident!

 

[badgersmythe]

It really is horrific. It sounds like it was witnessed by lots of fans leaving the stadium, many will be children.

BT sport caught the moment the helicopter crashed and it can be heard in the background. I decided not to share it as I felt it was disrespectful to hear the commentators joking around at the time. Although they weren’t to know of course.

 

[Ari_]

This is an awful tragedy. We know all too well what those owners mean to the fans and how well respected they and their families are.

We have friends who work at the stadium and we have tried desperately to reach them, worrying that they would have been caught up in that. It has taken us a while to reach them considering I live thousands of miles away across the ocean with a crazy time difference, but they were not working there last night.

I'm standing by for confirmation on whether the owner was on board that helicopter. But, I will be more surprised if he wasn't They always arrived and left on that heli.

 

[Spellbound]

Leicester City owner in helicopter crash
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was in the helicopter when it came down at about 20:30 BST on Saturday, a source close to the family has told the BBC.

Continuing updates: Leicester City helicopter crash - latest reaction


- - -

https://news.sky.com/story/helicopter-crash-outside-leicester-city-stadium-11537872
The owner of Leicester City was on-board his helicopter when it crashed in a ball of flames outside the football club's stadium, Sky sources say.

Reuters news agency said four other people were also on-board, including Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's daughter, two pilots and a fifth person who has not been identified.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

They are very slow to release details about this but from what I can tell on Twitter it was the owner, his daughter, two pilots and a fifth person on board.

Also rumours that the fifth person could have been the England manager GS, but I think (hope) that rumours is all it is.

 

[Dr. Benway]

Leicester City helicopter crash: owner believed
to have been on board – latest updates Guardian

 

[S05E22]

13m ago10:20

The concourse outside turnstiles 54-57 at the King Power Stadiumis almost totally covered by a field of flowers. Supporters of all ages and from various clubs – not just Leicester City – have been making the trip to the ground throughout the day. The atmosphere is understandably very silent. Shirts and scarves have been laid by fans of anywhere between Sheffield United and Internazionale.

 

[Ari_]

Leicester City owner in helicopter crash
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was in the helicopter when it came down at about 20:30 BST on Saturday, a source close to the family has told the BBC.

Continuing updates: Leicester City helicopter crash - latest reaction


- - -

Leicester City owner 'was on board crashed helicopter'
The owner of Leicester City was on-board his helicopter when it crashed in a ball of flames outside the football club's stadium, Sky sources say.

Reuters news agency said four other people were also on-board, including Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's daughter, two pilots and a fifth person who has not been identified.

His daughter too? Oh god. That poor family. Our friend, who is local, posted that she went to lay flowers at the stadium and she said it was such a strange feeling to be there when it was so quiet and she could hear nothing else but tears when usually the stadium is lit up with a great atmosphere. She talked about how she consoled another woman there, a stranger and what she saw. Very moving.

RIP Vichai and all others on board.

 

[JudgeJudi]

The media, including the BBC, are saying that Srivaddhanaprabha was on board but this information is still coming from a source close to the family. A report by Reuters, which the BBC has not been able to verify, claimed four other people were on board with Mr Srivaddhanaprabha.

Leicester City owner in helicopter crash

 

[54-46]

Horrible turn for Leicester City F. C. Go Foxes! Prayers above for all, most importantly.

 

[badgersmythe]

Leicester pilot brought down helicopter away from homes and buildings


Leicester pilot brought down helicopter away from homes and buildings | Daily Mail Online

 

[Ari_]

Leicester pilot brought down helicopter away from homes and buildings


Leicester pilot brought down helicopter away from homes and buildings | Daily Mail Online

Self-made Thai billionaire Mr Srivaddhanaprabha has become a hero to Leicester fans since their improbable Premier League title win in 2016.

The 60-year-old is also praised for his charity work, donating £2 million towards a new children's hospital.