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Pilot cleared over helicopter crash that killed Thai owner of Leicester City
A “catastrophic” mechanical failure, not pilot error, was the cause of a horrific helicopter crash that killed Leicester City’s Thai owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others in 2018, investigators said on Wednesday.
As the aircraft turned out of control, a shout of “Hey, hey, hey!” came from the rear cabin, where the football club boss and two of his employees were seated, according to the official report into the crash.
“I’ve got no idea what’s going on,” pilot Eric Swaffer, 53, shouted back before the Leonardo AW169 helicopter plummeted to the ground from a height of around 130m and burst into flames.
Vichai, two members of his staff, actress and former beauty queen Nursara Suknamai, and Kaveporn Punpare, Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz, who was also a professional pilot, were all killed in the accident.
It happened shortly after the helicopter took off from the King Power Stadium pitch on Oct 27, 2018, following a Premier League match against West Ham United.
Swaffer, a highly experienced pilot, “performed the most appropriate actions” but was unable to regain control of the aircraft, the report by the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said.
This included raising a lever to reduce the helicopter’s pitch angle and “cushion the impact”.
Four of the five occupants survived the initial impact but died in the subsequent fire.
“The impact… damaged the lower fuselage and the helicopter’s fuel tanks which resulted in a significant fuel leak… and an intense post-impact fire rapidly engulfed the fuselage,” according to the report.
The inquiry found that the pilot’s pedals became disconnected from the helicopter’s tail rotor.
As a result, the aircraft made a sharp right turn which was “impossible” to control. This “catastrophic failure” caused the helicopter to spin quickly five times.
The probe found that the control system failed because a bearing in the tail rotor broke up due to its ceramic balls sliding rather than rolling, due to a build-up of pressure.
Inspection of the bearing was only required once it has been used for 400 hours, but the helicopter had only been flown for 331 hours at the time of the fatal crash.
Vichai, 60, had been Thailand’s fifth-richest man when he died. He made billions from his King Power duty-free monopoly in the country.
He bought Leicester City in 2010, pouring millions into the team and becoming a beloved figure in the club and the city.
Under his ownership, Leicester pulled off their against-all-odds Premier League victory in 2016, having started the season as 5,000-1 outsiders for the title.
–AFP
African teams will battle for the remaining qualification spots for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup this weekend as the final round of qualifiers reaches its climax across the continent.
In Kampala, Ghana will attempt to protect a slender 2-1 first-leg advantage when they face Uganda’s U20 girls away from home.
Cameroon are also in a strong position ahead of their return-leg clash against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam after securing a 3-1 victory in the first meeting.
Meanwhile, Benin will fancy their chances of advancing when they host Côte d’Ivoire following a 1-1 draw in Abidjan.
Nigeria’s Falconets are equally close to qualification after earning a 2-0 first-leg victory over Malawi ahead of Saturday’s decisive encounter in Lilongwe.
The successful teams will join the global field for the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next year.
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The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year’s New York City event.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.
“To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record,” said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.
In the women’s race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women ‘s-only world record
-Reuters
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By George Akpayen
The finish line is now in sight in this season’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), and much of the talk has centred on the title race and those at the other end of the table, which surprisingly include last season’s champions Remo Stars.
However, there is another race shaping up among the leading top scorers this season, and this could see as many as six or more players going head-to-head in the final six matchdays.
Top contenders in the race for the battle for the golden boot are Enugu Rangers’ striker, Godwin Obaje and Ikorodu City winger Joseph Arumala, who have scored 11 goals apiece.
On the tails of the top-two scoring individuals are Victor Mbaoma (Remo Stars), El-Kanemi Warriors midfielder Daddy Abdulrahman, Katsina United’s Uche Collins and Emeka Obioma of Abia Warriors, all on 10 goals each.
THE PERFORMANCE BREAKDOWN
Out of the top-six leading scorers, Obaje, Arumala and Mbaoma have more direct goal involvement. Obaje and Arumala have 11 goals and two assists each, while Mbaoma has 10 goals and assists from 23 appearances, which is the least number of matches featured in among the leading scorers. Mbaoma missed most of the early parts of the season due to bruised ribs.
El-Kanemi Warriors midfielder Abdulrahman has made the most appearances among the top-six scorers and has a 12-goal direct involvement (10 goals + two assists).
Obioma is however, the only top-six scorer who is yet to register an assist this season after 26 appearances for Abia Warriors.
Interestingly, Collins is the only top-six scorer who has netted a hat-trick this season so far.
THE CHASING PACK
There is also the chasing pack in the race for the Golden Boot. One of them is Plateau United winger Temitope Vincent Adebayo, who has scored nine goals. Sodiq Ibrahim (3SC), Enyimba striker Chidera Michael, and Igbunu Evwierhurhoma of Warri Wolves.
The variety of players in the chasing pack also makes the race intriguing as they have been consistent goal scorers in recent matchweeks. They are definitely breathing down the necks of the frontrunners.
There are also the outsiders in the race. Jonathan Mairiga of Wikki Tourists, Chidozie Iwundu (Rangers) and Bendel Insurance duo of Kayode Oke, 3SC’s Qamar Adegoke and Alex Oweilayefa – all on eight goals. On seven goals is Kano Pillars legend Rabiu Ali.
WORTHY MENTION
However, Iwundu deserves a big mention among the top scorers as he is the top-scoring defender. He has made 29 appearances for Rangers and has been booked three times and sent off once.
Iwundu’s goalscoring form from his centre-back role has also been important for his club in their title aspirations this season, and his team will hope his form can continue into the final six matchdays.
No doubt, there will be twists and turns for individual glory in a race that is still wide open. Fixture difficulty, favourable run-in, struggling defences and hunger in front of goal are surely going to be among the factors that would decide who wins this race in an unpredictable league. At this point, nothing is guaranteed as all top marksmen are odds-on to claim the top individual prize.
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