Emiliano Sala's death in plane crash: Pilot told his friend aircraft was 'dodgy'. See details
he pilot of the plane, which was carrying Argentinian footballer Emiliano Sala in January 2019, had told his friend that the aircraft was "dodgy." The plane had crashed in the English Channel, killing both the footballer and the pilot.
By ET Spotlight Special |
Agencies
The pilot of the plane, which crashed in the English Channel in January 2019 and killed Argentinian footballer Emiliano Sala, had told his friend that the aircraft was "dodgy." The pilot had also promised his friend to wear his lifejacket before the fatal crash. Earlier in March, an inquest had found that the Argentinian footballer died due to the injuries he suffered to his head and chest. The inquest also found that Emiliano Sala was deeply unconscious after being poisoned by fumes that were coming out from the faulty exhaust system of Piper Malibu.
The plane had crashed when Emiliano Sala, the 28-year-old Argentinian striker, was travelling from Nantes to Wales to join the Premier League club Cardiff City. The plane crashed in the English Channel close to Guernsey. The pilot of the aircraft, 58-year-old David Ibbotson, had also lost his life in the crash. However, the body of Ibbotson could never be found.
Most athletes spend a substantial amount of time in transit, jet-setting between various venues. But some of these journeys have gone awry, resulting in their untimely deaths.
The 28-year-old Argentinian striker had become Cardiff City’s club-record signing when he put pen to paper on January 18. After finishing his medical at the Premier League club, he flew back to Nantes to bid goodbye to his former teammates. However, on January 21, the private jet on which he was returning to the United Kingdom went missing over the Channel Islands. Sala, who was one of the two people, along with pilot David Ibbotson, on the flight, left a WhatsApp voice message suggesting his plane “feels like it’s falling to pieces”. The wreckage of the aircraft and Sala’s body were located a few days ago.
(Text: Rohan Abraham)
(Image: Reuters)
The new revelation was made public by the newly aired audio on the BBC's podcast, Transfer: The Emiliano Sala Story. The audio suggests that pilot Ibbotson had concerns about the aircraft. In the audio clip, Ibbotson can be heard telling his friend that he picked a footballer. The pilot also said that he was entrusted to pick Sala up "in a dodgy" plane. The aircraft needed to go back to the hangar, Ibbotson told his friend in the voicemail.
The single-engine aircraft was arranged by the 67-year-old pilot-cum-businessman David Henderson despite not being the legally registered operator. Henderson was sentenced to an 18-month-jail last year for using the services of Ibbotson, who did not have the relevant licenses. Pilot Ibbotson was an amateur pilot and was not permitted to carry passengers at night. Last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered Cardiff Club to pay the first instalment of Sala's transfer fee because the deal was closed before the footballer's death.
The plane had crashed when Emiliano Sala, the 28-year-old Argentinian striker, was travelling from Nantes to Wales to join the Premier League club Cardiff City. The plane crashed in the English Channel close to Guernsey. The pilot of the aircraft, 58-year-old David Ibbotson, had also lost his life in the crash. However, the body of Ibbotson could never be found.
The 28-year-old Argentinian striker had become Cardiff City’s club-record signing when he put pen to paper on January 18. After finishing his medical at the Premier League club, he flew back to Nantes to bid goodbye to his former teammates. However, on January 21, the private jet on which he was returning to the United Kingdom went missing over the Channel Islands. Sala, who was one of the two people, along with pilot David Ibbotson, on the flight, left a WhatsApp voice message suggesting his plane “feels like it’s falling to pieces”. The wreckage of the aircraft and Sala’s body were located a few days ago.
(Text: Rohan Abraham)
(Image: Reuters)
The new revelation was made public by the newly aired audio on the BBC's podcast, Transfer: The Emiliano Sala Story. The audio suggests that pilot Ibbotson had concerns about the aircraft. In the audio clip, Ibbotson can be heard telling his friend that he picked a footballer. The pilot also said that he was entrusted to pick Sala up "in a dodgy" plane. The aircraft needed to go back to the hangar, Ibbotson told his friend in the voicemail.
The single-engine aircraft was arranged by the 67-year-old pilot-cum-businessman David Henderson despite not being the legally registered operator. Henderson was sentenced to an 18-month-jail last year for using the services of Ibbotson, who did not have the relevant licenses. Pilot Ibbotson was an amateur pilot and was not permitted to carry passengers at night. Last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered Cardiff Club to pay the first instalment of Sala's transfer fee because the deal was closed before the footballer's death.
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FAQs:- Which nationalities does Emiliano Sala belong to?
Emiliano Sala was an Argentinian striker. - What does the inquest mean?
An inquest is an official process to find out how somebody died.
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