PILOT ERROR DOOMED ACE SALA TO DIE
Flier only had private licence
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said David Ibbotson, 59, held a private pilot’s licence which meant he could not carry passengers for cash.
Its interim report into the January 21 crash said he was only allowed to fly passengers if he personally contributed half the cost of the trip.
Experts are still trying to determine if that was the case with Cardiff footballer Sala, 28, whose body was found in the wreckage of the Piper Malibu light aircraft on the seabed 13 days after it vanished over the English Channel near Guernsey. The AAIB said it had been unable to establish how much flying Mr Ibbotson had done recently as his pilot’s licence and logbook had been lost.
Separate reports in France suggested he had made basic errors in pre-flight checks including incorrectly logging the aircraft’s licence number.
He had also not taken a direct path from France to Wales.
The Argentinian footballer had completed a record £15million transfer from
French club
Nantes to Cardiff 48 hours before the trip. Mr Ibbotson has not yet been found.
His family hope a new hunt for his body will begin this week after setting up a crowd-funding campaign which has raised £250,000.
The aircraft remains 220ft below sea level after an attempt to recover it was hampered by bad weather. Investigators are still probing the cause though Mr Ibbotson had flown into icy showers en route from France to Wales. The AAIB said the aircraft fell thousands of feet in 20 seconds after making a 180-degree turn four minutes after Mr Ibbotson requested a descent.
The plane was found in three parts on the seabed 30 metres from the spot where it dropped off radar at 1,600ft – suggesting it plunged almost vertically into the sea.
It was “extensively damaged” with the wreckage held together by electrical and flying control cables.
The engine was disconnected from the cockpit, wings were smashed and the tail fin was missing.
The pilot’s last words to air traffic control suggested he had the situation in hand and did not need assistance. Asked if he required a further descent Ibbotson responded: “Negative, just avoided a patch there, but back on heading 5,000ft.” The plane appeared to ascend again in the seconds before contact was lost.