Leicester City owner amongst 5 killed in helicopter crash at King Power stadium

[Ikon]

Think so, not sure what it's called though.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

Not seen the footage but I assume it's just a puff of exhaust gas on engine start up.

 

You won't get a definitive answer unless there are some pilots, aero engineers or aircraft mechanics who post on here.

[sbnufc]

Back to the footage, is that puff of smoke at the start normal?

yeah

[BlueStar]

Someone asked that on Reddit

I’m no expert so feel free to correct me if I’m wrong but I think it can be down to incomplete fuel combustion, oil burning off or condensed water vapour

Expert here. Your 100% correct. When a gas turbine engine shuts down there is a brief moment where fuel can still enter the combustion chamber. Because the fuel is no longer being burned it sinks to the bottom of the engine. When the engine is restarted it's then blown through to the exhaust and burned off once the engine ignites. My experience is mostly with Sea Kings where exhaust fires were pretty common though rarely serious. Just cancel the start and try again.

[geordiedean]

People who are terrified of flying telling others their misinformation about how helicopters work.

 

Statistically you're far more likely to die in a car than a plane or helicopter. I'll accept it's probably more terrifyingly to imagine dying in an air crash than a car crash.

 

There's a reason aircraft crashes make the news and car crashes rarely do. Air crashes are rare where as people die in car crashes frequently.

 

I often look at flight radar app and at any given time there are roughly about 25-30 thousand planes in the air multiply that by the amount of passengers on board and you then get an idea of how miniscule fatalities are through air travel. As you've said anywhere globally when a plane goes down its major headline news. Theres thousands killed daily on the roads that no one gets to hear about

[Sean]

What a great owner and man. This is a great (if long) article by Henry Winter in the Times about him and what great custodian he's been for Leicester:

 

Too few owners respect their clubs’ traditions – Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha did

 

Good ownership of a football club is not simply about making the right decisions with managerial appointments, player recruitment and investment in facilities. It is also about instilling the right values or respecting principles and traditions that have served the club so well.

 

It is why Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s tragic death has caused such widespread anguish. Some fans of opposing clubs are going on Leicester City fans’ forums to express their condolences and talk of how much they admired Vichai. He was the owner they all wanted, “The People’s Billionaire” as one fan called him.

 

Other owners should really look and learn from Vichai’s bond with supporters, players and staff at Leicester, where he always felt more custodian than chairman. Too few owners truly respect their club’s traditions. Vichai did. The Thai businessman held Leicester customs in high regard because of his innate humility and maybe also because he hailed from a country where values, culture and the past are respected greatly.

 

In the directors’ lounge at Leicester, Vichai and his son Top had boards put up chronicling the club’s participation in FA Cup finals in 1949, 1961, 1963 and 1969, all lost, but still all part of the club’s long heritage. Another board marked League Cup finals in 1964, 1965, 1997, 1999 and 2000. They have boards celebrating managers and players, and a board with names of chairmen dating back to the Victorian era.

 

The Premier League feels at a crossroads as it heads towards substantial upheaval when its chief executive, Richard Scudamore, for so long the driving force, leaves at the end of the year. As when any leader stands down, a period of flux and uncertainty is inevitable, and increasingly disenfranchised supporters will fear certain owners flexing their muscles, demanding more of the broadcast revenue, sidelining matchgoers further.

 

The Premier League post-Scudamore could also provide an opportunity for a reboot, for a new start if owners follow Vichai’s example and engage properly with fans. This might be the most naive of wishes in such a brutal, commercial world but Vichai demonstrated it was possible to be philanthropic as well as business-minded. His kindness made Leicester even stronger, even more of a unified force.

 

Good owners can certainly be found in the Premier League, such as Dean Hoyle at Huddersfield Town, Tony Bloom at Brighton & Hove Albion, Shahid Khan at Fulham, John W Henry and Fenway Sports Group at Liverpool, Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City, Mike Garlick at Burnley, and Roman Abramovich at Chelsea. Steve Parish cares passionately for Crystal Palace while Bill Kenwright may have his shareholding in Everton reduced but never his love of the club.

 

But there are others, Mike Ashley at Newcastle United, Stan Kroenke at Arsenal and particularly the wretched Glazer family at Manchester United, influential figures who lack sufficient respect for the unique footballing institutions they control. Kroenke’s full takeover has broken the hearts of those Arsenal fans who gripped their share certificate as a cherished symbol of their devotion. Ashley and the Glazers are reviled for their cold grip on famous clubs.

 

When Malcolm Glazer passed away, The Times covered the news in 470 words, including statements from his clubs, the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a brief “thoughts with the family” post from United. Clearly, these were very different circumstances but the real contrast lies in the immense affection and respect in which Vichai was held, in pages of tributes as well as the carpet of flowers. Vichai cleared debts, not introduced them. He connected with fans, not alienated them. He learnt about the club.

 

Vichai had every right to bring in new ideas, however quirky they might seem to English eyes, and he invited Buddhist monks from the temple he attended in Thailand to pray at the King Power. Before the monks arrived, Vichai and Top asked senior figures at the club, “Is this OK?”

 

Vichai didn’t meddle with Leicester’s soul, didn’t mess with the colours, as Vincent Tan tried at Cardiff City. Vichai and Top were also aware of the mistakes made by Assem Allam at Hull City, basically not understanding nor respecting club lore.

 

Leicester remained as friendly as ever, just better organised. Key people like the legendary former player and general keeper-up-of-spirits Alan Birchenall still held court from his memorabilia-filled office at the heart of the training ground. Birch embodies Leicester: selfless, community-spirited, and defiant with a dash of humour. Vichai kept an eye on Birch when he fell ill last year. Class.

 

When Claudio Ranieri was overseeing training on his birthday, Vichai appeared at Belvoir Drive with a cake. “He was as a second father to me, so ‘simpatico’,” Ranieri told Italian media yesterday. Imagine Rafa Benítez and Ashley even swapping birthday cards. Unlikely.

 

No Arsenal player would talk of Kroenke as Kasper Schmeichel spoke of Vichai with that powerful posted eulogy, containing such lines as: “I always admired you as a leader, as a father and as a man. You made me feel like nothing was impossible. This club, this city is a family. And that is all because of you.” The Glazer children would never be embraced by players and staff as Vichai’s family were at the King Power Stadium yesterday. The Glazers need heavy security when they visit Old Trafford.

 

Vichai was incredibly proud to become Leicester’s owner. When they were promoted to the elite division, Top said to his father: “You are going to be the owner of a Premier League team, and there are only 20 teams in the Premier League, the top league in the world. People around the world are going to watch your team play at Old Trafford, everywhere.” His father beamed with pride.

 

Top also told me in an interview to celebrate that promotion four years ago that “we give our hearts to the club”. It is poignant to recall his words about Vichai. “He loves football. I love football. Me and my dad are very close and we watched English football since I was six or seven, every team, every night that we could, every week. I still love Eric Cantona. I love everything about him. I play football myself. I play up front. I played in a staff game.” Top was too modest to mention he scored a hat-trick. Modesty seems a family trait.

 

Top explained what underpinned his father’s humility, namely the way he worked his way up from little, fashioning the King Power empire through sheer hard work. Vichai never forgot his roots because, Top said, “he built the business from nothing. He suffered before. He had no money before.” So when he made it, when he had money, Vichai shared his success, spreading joy with his commitment to Leicester.

 

How many owners or co-owners beyond the Hoyles, Blooms, Parishes and Kenwrights and a few others are fully embedded emotionally in their clubs as Vichai was? He cared deeply. When Leicester won the Premier League in 2016, and Andrea Bocelli stood in the centre circle singing Nessun Dorma, the giant smile on Vichai’s face captured his delight in the club. Smartly dressed, in a fine suit and club tie, Vichai applauded Bocelli’s virtuosity as well as his players’ achievements and the fans’ ceaseless support.

 

Some other owners should see that an important part of Vichai’s legacy was how to treat people. When Leicester entered the Champions League, and headed off on a European tour, Vichai was there in Bruges, walking around in his Leicester polo shirt, chatting with fans who adored him. He was there in the Plaza Mayor in Madrid before the Atletico match to talk with supporters. “The People’s Billionaire” was an owner who cared, and a reminder to some of those who rule other clubs that compassion, connection and a sense of community are vital human qualities which bring respect, even love.

 

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46471934

 

Leicester City crash helicopter rotor controls failed

 

The helicopter which crashed killing Leicester City's chairman and four others span out of control after a mechanism became disconnected, investigators have said.

 

An Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) report found cockpit pedals had disconnected from the tail rotor.

 

This caused the AW169 aircraft to turn uncontrollably to the right before it crashed near the King Power Stadium.

 

The AAIB said its inquiries into the 27 October crash are ongoing.

 

Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, two members of his staff Nusara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, and pilots Eric Swaffer and Izabela Roza Lechowicz were killed in the crash.

 

A public memorial for Mr Swaffer and Ms Lechowicz - who police said was a passenger at the time of the crash - is taking place at Guildford Cathedral on Thursday.

 

An inspection at the crash site found parts of a mechanism linking the pilot's pedals to the tail rotor had become disconnected and there was a "build-up of black grease" on one component.

 

The failure of the system led to the pitch of the tail rotor blades being changed "until they reached the physical limit of their travel".

 

The report stated: "The initiating cause and exact sequence of the failure that resulted in the loss of tail rotor control is being investigated as a priority."

 

Widely shared video footage of the helicopter's last flight, taken from inside the King Power Stadium, shows the AgustaWestland AW169 climbing normally for about 40 seconds before it pauses and goes into a downward spin.

 

The aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 430ft then crashed to the ground.

 

It was rapidly engulfed in a post-impact fire and all five people on board were killed.

 

Following the crash, the European Aviation Safety Agency ordered safety checks to be carried out on the tail rotors of AW169s and similar models.

 

At the memorial service for the pilots in Guildford, Ms Lechowicz's sister Kate paid tribute to the pair saying "they were just an incredible couple and amazing pilots".

 

"[They were] always there for their family and friends, ready to fly across the globe to be with us or anyone who would need it."

 

She said both had been excited at the prospect of becoming aunt and uncle to her son who is now 18 days old.

 

She said: "I wish you could meet each other. We have already applied for his passport, as you wished, so he can fly before he walks.

 

"You have touched the lives of every single person you have met... I know I am not alone in feeling a part of me is missing that never can be replaced."