Sala pilot was banned from flying plane
THE pilot of the flight which crashed killing footballer Emiliano Sala had been banned from flying the aircraft, an inquest has heard.
The Argentina-born striker died with pilot David Ibbotson, 59, when the Piper Malibu aircraft crashed into the English Channel in January 2019.
Mr Sala, 28, was flying to Wales from France to join then Premier League club Cardiff City in a £15million move from Ligue 1 side Nantes.
Dorset Coroner’s Court heard six months previously the jet owner banned Mr Ibbotson from piloting the plane after two notices of airspace infringements from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Operate
But he continued to fly it without her knowledge, the inquest was told.
Fay Keely’s family bought the Piper Malibu plane in August 2015 through their company Cool Flourish Ltd.
While Cool Flourish Ltd owned it, the registered keeper was Southern Aircraft Consultancy, but Miss Keely relied on businessman and pilot David Henderson to operate it.
Southern Aircraft Consultancy was not aware of Mr Henderson’s involvement and believed Miss Keely was the registered operator. She told the hearing in Bournemouth Mr Henderson’s management included maintenance and hiring pilots.
She received notification of Mr Ibbotson’s CAA infringements in the summer of 2018 and told Mr Henderson not to use him again. Miss Keely told the court: “I was clear that I didn’t want him to fly the aircraft.”
She said she had no knowledge of the flight to Nantes to collect Mr Sala on January 19 and the return to Cardiff two days later or who the pilot was.
The inquest previously heard the player was overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning prior to dying from severe head and chest injuries consistent with a plane crash.
Mr Ibbotson’s body has never been found.The inquest continues.