Police heard the pilot shouting for help

Two police officers who were the first to arrive at the scene of the Leicester City helicopter crash told the inquest that they heard the pilot shouting for help.

Sergeant Michael Hooper and Officer Stephen Quartermaine, who had just gotten off work and were driving nearby, were the first emergency services personnel at the scene of the 2018 incident at the club's King Power Stadium, which killed five people.

Foxes chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died in the accident, along with other passengers including Kaveporn Punpare, Nusara Suknamai , pilot Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz.

on Monday, interrogation begins Before a jury, the jury will determine who the deceased was and when, where and how they died.

WARNING: This story contains details that readers may find disturbing

Sergeant Hooper said he could hear pilot Swaffer yelling “get me out of here, help me” from inside the plane after the crash.

He told the coroner he used his baton to try to break the helicopter's windscreen but was unsuccessful.

Sgt Hooper said he then ran to the police car to get a fire extinguisher in an attempt to “buy (Mr Swaffer) a little time”.

He added: “It was very hot. It was almost unbearable.”

PC Quartermain became emotional as he recalled the moment “the flames started to spread towards the back of the plane” and the realization that “people were going to die”.

He said Mr Swaffer initially appeared “unconscious” before “beginning to come to”.

He told the trial the pilot “looked at Mike and me and started yelling 'Help, get me out'”.

Philip Shepherd KC, representing Mr Vichai's relatives, told officers: “On behalf of the family of Khun Vichai, I would like to congratulate you on your heroic efforts that night to save the lives of those who tragically lost their lives .”

As the trial progressed, body-worn footage from both officers was shown to the jury.

The inquest heard the officers, who had just been released from custody, were driving nearby and arrived at the scene within a minute of the incident.

Because the helicopter was parked on its left side after the crash, the jury was told that the doors on both sides were inaccessible, with one door about 2.5 m (8.2 ft) above the ground and the other close to the floor.

It was explained to the jury that specialized equipment was needed to break the helicopter's windscreen, which was designed to withstand the impact of a 1-kilogram bird traveling at 180 mph (289 km/h).

The incident occurred shortly after Leicester City's 1-1 home draw with West Ham United.

The inquest also heard from witnesses including former venue manager John Ledwich, who said the helicopter's takeoff that night was “very routine and normal”.

As someone who was training as a private fixed-wing pilot at the time, he said: “I always watched it (take off) out of aviation interest.”

Ledwidge said the helicopter was descending very quickly and he could see it “spinning very violently.”

He said he immediately yelled at ground staff who were still taking cover on the edge of the pitch because he didn't know where the helicopter would land.

Mr Ledwidge told the jury he continued running to where he thought the helicopter would land “to see if there was anything I could do to help” and arrived about 15 meters from the crash site.

“I could see smoke coming from the rear engine,” he added.

“Within 10 to 15 seconds, I saw flames coming from the back.

“It was an orange glow.”

Asked if he heard any noise inside the helicopter, Mr Ledwidge said: “I live with the guilt of not doing more.

“When the fire broke out, I turned the protection of my life towards my team and the people trying to help.”

Mr Ledwich paid tribute to the late Mr Vichai, describing him as “a great man”.

“I feel like I'm part of a family. That's probably the best way I can describe it,” he said.

“I've never worked at a club like Leicester City. That's what he brings.”

Darren Pyke, a sound engineer for BT Sport who was broadcasting the match, told the jury he was in his car outside the stadium when the helicopter took off and witnessed the moment it crashed.

He recalled that a police officer who arrived at the scene said someone appeared to be alive inside.

Mr Pike said he could not see, adding: “I never saw any sign of life.”

Another witness, Martin Weeks, was part of Leicester City's maintenance team and was in the car park when the helicopter went down.

He said it “made an unusual noise” but landed in a “pretty controlled way”.

“It all seemed to happen in slow motion,” he said.

“It's really just a whirlwind of awareness.”

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service station manager Chris Parsons was involved in the multi-agency response to the incident.

He explained to the jury the standard procedure for deploying fire trucks in a crash and how police use foam to form a blanket over spilled aviation fuel to prevent it from catching fire.

Parsons said that the day after the accident, firefighters set up protective screens to protect the dignity of the deceased as they recovered the bodies.

The inquiry's lead lawyer, Jonathan Hough KC, read out a November 2018 statement from Dr Matthew Woods, consultant to University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust.

It told the jury how Dr Woods, a pre-hospital doctor with the East Midlands Ambulance Service, responded on a charity basis when he received a message that a helicopter had crashed at the stadium and realized he had Will get to the scene before anyone else. resource.

Dr Woods' statement said when he arrived at the scene he saw the helicopter's passengers “apparently deceased”.

It added: “The injuries sustained were clearly inconsistent with life and there was evidence of being burned.”

Report of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), Published in September 2023After a series of mechanical failures, it found the crash was “inevitable” and said the pilots could have done “very little” to save everyone on board.

The investigation, expected to last two to three weeks, is ongoing.