2018 Leicester City F.C. helicopter crash

On 27 October 2018, an AgustaWestland AW169 helicopter crashed shortly after take-off from the King Power Stadium, Leicester, United Kingdom. Owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was on board, along with his daughter, a board member and two pilots.

Accident
The aircraft, with owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha amongst the five people on board – two pilots and three passengers, crashed at 20:30 BST (19:30 UTC) and caught fire shortly after taking off from the King Power Stadium. Witnesses attempted to rescue those in the helicopter, but were unable to due to the heat and flames. A witness claimed that the failure of the helicopter's tail rotor was the cause of the accident. The aircraft was bound for London. It crashed 200 metres (220 yd) from the stadium in a car park. It is feared that all on board were killed in the crash and subsequent fire.

In a 2018–19 Premier League match, Leicester City had been playing West Ham United at the stadium. The match finished with the scores at 1–1. The coach carrying the West Ham United team had left the stadium before the accident, but some Leicester City staff and players who were still in the stadium were evacuated following the crash.

Aircraft
The accident aircraft was an AgustaWestland AW169 helicopter, registration G-VSKP, c/n 69018. The aircraft had been manufactured in 2016.

Investigation
The Air Accident Investigation Branch opened an investigation into the accident.

Responses
The Leicester City Women's match, scheduled for the day after the crash, was postponed out of respect for the club.