Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 16, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleLeonardo denies liability for the 2018 helicopter crash that killed Leicester City's owner, asserting the AW169 model's safety amid a lawsuit by the Srivaddhanaprabha family.
By Sam Tobin
LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Italy's Leonardo has denied liability for the 2018 helicopter crash which killed Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, saying in its defence to a lawsuit that its AW169 model is safe.
The family of Srivaddhanaprabha, who founded duty-free retailer King Power and owned English soccer club Leicester City, are suing Leonardo for up to 2.15 billion pounds ($2.89 billion) at London's High Court over the crash.
Best known in Britain as owner of the club which defied odds of 5,000/1 to win the 2016 Premier League title, Srivaddhanaprabha's helicopter crashed shortly after taking off outside Leicester City's stadium, before bursting into flames.
An inquest jury concluded in January that the deaths of Srivaddhanaprabha, two members of his staff, pilot Eric Swaffer and Swaffer's partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz were accidental.
Srivaddhanaprabha's widow and four children filed their case in January, claiming loss of earnings and other damages. The family's lawyers declined to comment on Leonardo's defence.
Leonardo said in its written defence, which was made public last week, that it bore no liability for the incident, which was "the first and only crash involving an AW169" and that no regulatory authority has deemed the model unsafe to fly.
It also said Srivaddhanaprabha would likely have survived if the pilot had conducted a controlled landing, which would have prevented the helicopter catching fire.
LEONARDO EXPRESSES SYMPATHY, DENIES LIABILITY
"While Leonardo has every sympathy for the Srivaddhanaprabha family, Leonardo does not consider that the claims that have been brought against it are made out as a matter of either fact or law," the company said in its defence, dated December 1.
Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said in a 2023 report that it had not been possible for the pilot to recover from a tail rotor failure.
Leonardo said it disputes the report, pointing out that no safety recommendations were addressed to the company.
($1 = 0.7452 pounds)
(Reporting by Sam Tobin in London; additional reporting by Giulia Segreti in Rome; Editing by Alexander Smith)
A helicopter crash refers to an incident where a helicopter loses control and crashes, often resulting in damage to the aircraft and potential injury or loss of life to those on board.
An inquest is a judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts relating to an incident, such as a death. It is typically conducted by a coroner to determine the cause of death and any circumstances surrounding it.
Compensation is a payment or benefit provided to someone as a recompense for loss, injury, or suffering. In legal contexts, it often refers to financial restitution awarded to a claimant.
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