Leicester Helicopter Crash; Why Pilot Has Been Labelled A Hero Despite Casualties

The pilot of a helicopter which crashed outside Leicester’s stadium last night may have prevented a larger tragedy by bringing it down away from buildings and homes.

The helicopter, belonging to Leicester City’s owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha – who is feared to have been on board – came down just outside the ground after the club’s match against West Ham last night.

An aerial view shows where the helicopter crashed and then burst into flames, in a relatively derelict part of the site.

The crash could have caused mass casualties if it had come down on the road, car park, nearby houses or wrecked part of the King Power Stadium.

Most of the 31,000 fans who watched the Premier League side draw with West Ham had already left the stadium when the helicopter took off from the centre of the pitch.

But video footage in the aftermath of the crash showed there was still a large crowd of people in the area when the helicopter fell to the ground.

They included spectators and journalists as well as police officers who were controlling the crowd during the match.

Also near the stadium are a Holiday Inn hotel and an adjacent restaurant, two car dealerships and a children’s play centre.

Meanwhile, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was in the helicopter when it came down at about 20:30 BST on Saturday, a source close to the family has told the BBC.

Witnesses said they saw it just clear the stadium before it spiralled out of control and crashed in a fireball.

The BBC understands two crew members and three passengers were on board.

Leicester had drawn 1-1 against West Ham United at the King Power Stadium, with the match finishing about one hour before the helicopter took off from the pitch.