An eyewitness to the fatal helicopter crash outside Leicester City's King Power Stadium in 2018 shares his remorse for not being able to do more to help. John Ledwidge, a former grounds manager, recounts his experience at an inquest, detailing the distressing moments leading up to the tragedy.
An eyewitness to the helicopter crash outside Leicester City 's King Power Stadium in 2018 has expressed enduring guilt for not being able to do more to help. John Ledwidge, a former grounds manager for the club, recounted his experience at an inquest at Leicester City Hall, where a jury is determining the identities, times, locations, and causes of death of the five victims. Ledwidge, who was training as a private fixed-wing pilot at the time, observed the helicopter's takeoff as routine.
However, he immediately noticed its rapid descent and aggressive spin, warning his groundskeeping team to take cover. Driven by a desire to assist, Ledwidge ran towards the estimated crash site, witnessing flames erupting from the rear within seconds. Haunted by the tragedy, Ledwidge confessed to living with the guilt of not doing more. When the fire ignited, his immediate concern shifted to protecting his team and those attempting to help. He described the strong sense of camaraderie he shared with them, emphasizing the feeling of belonging to a family. Other witnesses, including a BT Sport sound engineer and a member of the Leicester City maintenance team, also provided their accounts. Darren Pyke, positioned outside the stadium when the helicopter took off, witnessed the crash and recounted hearing a police officer at the scene mention the possibility of survivors. Martin Wicks, present in the car park during the crash, described the helicopter's unusual trajectory and noise before it descended in a seemingly controlled manner. Body-worn footage from two police officers, PC Stephen Quartermain and Sgt Michael Hooper, captured their swift response to the incident. Arriving at the scene within a minute, they faced challenges accessing the trapped passengers due to the helicopter's position. Sgt Hooper's attempt to break the windshield with his baton proved futile, highlighting the need for specialized equipment to penetrate the reinforced glass designed to withstand bird impacts. An Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report released in September 2023 concluded that the crash was an inevitable outcome of a series of mechanical failures, suggesting that the pilot could have taken limited actions to prevent the tragedy
Helecopter Crash Leicester City Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Inquest Witness Testimony
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