Shocking new footage shows the moment the helicopter belonging to Leicester City’s billionaire owner spiralled out of control and came crashing down to earth at terrifying speed.
The clip, handed to investigators probing the crash by The Sun, shows the aircraft taking off from the centre circle at the King Power stadium on Saturday night.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s aircraft then hovers over the ground for an ‘unusually long’ period of time before it spins violently out of control and comes crashing down outside the stadium in a nearby car park.
Fans and stewards watching the helicopter from the ground are heard shouting ‘s***’ at the end of the footage, when it is clear the chopper has crashed.
The terrifying clip, handed to investigators probing the crash by The Sun, shows the aircraft taking off from the centre circle at the King Power stadium on Saturday night
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s aircraft (pictured) then hovers over the ground for an ‘unusually long’ period of time before it spins violently out of control
Leicester City FC owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha had his helicopter land in the centre of the pitch at the club’s King Power stadium last night before it lost control and crashed back down
Father-of-four Mr Srivaddhanaprabha’s helicopter plummeted 200ft, killing him and four others instantly at 8.30pm after the Leicester v West Ham game on Saturday.
It had taken off from the centre circle of the club’s ground, where the billionaire chairman would often land and take off after games.
But experts claim the aircraft’s tail rotor failed, sending the £6million AugustaWestland AW169 into a ‘dead man’s curve’ that even the best pilot would not have been able to handle.
The crash killed the much-loved club owner, his pilot Eric Swaffer, 53, his girlfriend Izabela Lechowicz and staff members Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare.
The helicopter belonging to Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha crashed and burst into flames in a car park at the ground
Charred remains of the helicopter are pictured half-covered by a sheet in the car park in the day after the tragedy
Instead of crashing into the stands and hospitality areas the aircraft came down on empty car park land 200 yards from the stadium.
It avoided busy roads and the last of the 31,000 fans still in the area along with dozens of police officers.
Mr Swaffer has been hailed a hero, with specialists claiming his final actions could have prevented thousands of further casualties.
The crash shocked the nation and devastated players, staff and fans at Leicester City, with the ground awash with floral tributes and blue and white scarves this week.
Today Leicester striker Jamie Vardy visited with his wife Rebekah, who both broke down in tears at the site of the shrine.
The crash killed the much-loved club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (pictured in May this year) and four others
One of the five dead in the Leicester City helicopter crash was former Thai beauty queen Nursara Suknamai (pictured the week before she died)
Mr Srivaddhanaprabha’s helicopter was flown by Eric Swaffer, 53 (pictured left with the Dalai Lama). His partner, also on board the ill-fated aircraft was flight instructor Izabela Lechowicz, 46 (pictured right). They both died in the crash
Kaveporn Punpare (pictured) was also among those who died in the helicopter horror crash on Saturday evening
The couple, who previously referred to the late chairman as ‘a member of their extended family’, both wiped tears from their eyes as they walked past the huge amount of floral tributes and club shirts dedicated to the 60-year-old Thai billionaire.
In a tribute posted on Instagram on Sunday alongside a picture of Mr Srivaddhanaprabha at the Vardys’ wedding, Rebekah wrote: ‘You may be gone from our sight but never from our hearts….yesterday we lost a member of our extended family, a man that meant the world to us and to so many.
‘He was the kindest person with the biggest heart! Irreplaceable…. Thank you for everything you did for us. Devastated, heartbroken… may you rest in peace.’
The football club opened a book of condolence at the stadium this morning and there has been a steady stream of supporters arriving since the early hours.
Jamie, left, also bowed his head in respect as supporters continued to gather around the memorial and flocked to the stadium to sign a book of condolence