Data recorder recovered from Leicester owner’s helicopter
LEICESTER: The flight data recorder from the helicopter that crashed with the Leicester soccer team’s owner on board is being examined by investigators, authorities said, as his family and players paid tribute Monday at a makeshift shrine.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four others were killed when the aircraft spiraled out of control, crashed and burst in flames outside the King Power Stadium following a Premier League game Saturday. Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, son of the Thai retail entrepreneur, brought a wreath to add to a collection of flowers, jerseys and club memorabilia that was growing after the disaster. Fans who gathered to pay respects broke into applause when Aiyawatt returned to the memorial with the players.
Investigators are expected to remain at the site until the end of the week, when the wreckage is to be taken to special facilities for examination, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said.
“We recovered the digital flight data recorder (voice and data) on Sunday afternoon and one of our inspectors traveled back to Farnborough with the recorder the same evening,” the AAIB said in a statement. “Today, our inspectors in Farnborough will start working on the recorder, which was subject to intense heat as a result of the postaccident fire.”
Police have not given an update on the investigation but wrote on Twitter its drone “was not in flight at the time the helicopter left the stadium.”
Although only with Leicester for eight years, Vichai had a lasting impact on English soccer as the owner of the team that produced one of the greatest shocks in sports by winning the Premier League title at 5,000-1 odds in 2016.