Footballer Sala exposed to harmful carbon monoxide before being killed in crash

Footballer Emiliano Sala was exposed to harmful levels of carbon monoxide before he was killed in a plane crash and it is likely his pilot was also affected, accident investigators said.

Tests on the striker’s body found enough evidence of the harmful gas to cause a heart attack, seizure or unconsciousness, an interim report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) stated.

The cockpit of the Piper Malibu aircraft involved in the crash was not separated from the cabin and it is “likely” that pilot David Ibbotson was also “affected to some extent” by exposure to carbon monoxide, the document added.

The AAIB said the gas can “reduce or inhibit a pilot’s ability to fly an aircraft depending on the level of that exposure”.

Argentinian footballer Sala signed for Cardiff City from French club Nantes for £15 million on January 18.

Mr Ibbotson, 59, of Crowle, Lincolnshire, flew Sala from Cardiff to Nantes the following day. The return flight, which crashed in the Channel, was on January 21.

Sala’s body was recovered on February 6 but Mr Ibbotson has not been located.

Daniel Machover, of Hickman and Rose solicitors, lawyers for Sala’s relatives, said the presence of carbon monoxide “raises many questions for the family”. He added: “The family believe a detailed technical examination of the plane is necessary.

“The family and the public need to know how the carbon monoxide was able to enter the cabin. Future air safety rests on knowing as much as possible on this issue.

“Emiliano’s family call on the AAIB to salvage the wreckage of the plane without further delay.”

A spokesman for Cardiff City said: “CCFC is concerned at the AAIB’s latest report which once again highlights that the aircraft used for Emiliano Sala was not appropriate.”

Piston engine aircraft such as the Piper Malibu involved in the crash produce high levels of carbon monoxide, the interim report said. The gas is normally conveyed away from the aircraft through the exhaust system but poor sealing or leaks into the heating and ventilation system can enable it to enter the cabin.

Emiliano Sala.