Yorkshire man denies charges over plane crash that killed footballer

A MAN from Yorkshire has pleaded not guilty to endangering the safety of an aircraft which crashed and killed Argentinian footballer Emiliano Sala.

David Henderson, 66, was charged after the single- engine Piper Malibu aircraft crashed north of Guernsey in January 2019, killing its pilot, David Ibbotson, and passenger Sala.

The body of the 28- year- old Argentinian, who was involved in a multimillion pound transfer from FC Nantes in France to Cardiff City, was recovered from the sea the following month, but the body of Mr Ibbotson, 59, from

Crowle, Lincolnshire, has never been found.

Yesterday, Henderson, wearing a blue suit, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court via a video link to deny two offences under the Air Navigation Order ( 2016) brought by the Civil Aviation Authority ( CAA).

The court heard that he was charged with endangering the safety of an aircraft, as well as attempting to discharge a passenger without valid permission or authorisation.

The court heard the details of the first allegation related to Mr Ibbotson, who was contracted to fly the aircraft, not having a commercial pilot’s licence at the time of the flight, with it having expired in November 2018.

Stephen Spence, defending, told the court that he would raise the issue of whether Cardiff would be an “appropriate venue” for a fair trial, considering Sala’s link with the Welsh capital’s football club.

Judge Tracey Lloyd- Clarke told Henderson his trial date had been fixed for October 18, 2021.

Henderson, from Hotham in the East Riding, was granted unconditional bail until the trial date.