More than a year after the plane crash of Argentinian footballer Emiliano Sala, British investigators concluded that the pilot had made a maneuver at too high a speed, which led to the dislocation of the aircraft, in their published report Friday March 13.
The small private plane in which the player (28) and pilot David Ibbotson (59) were found crashed in the English Channel on January 21, 2019. The FC Nantes striker joined the club in Cardiff City, where it had just been transferred for 17 million euros. The body of the player, whose disappearance had moved the world of football, was found in the carcass of the device, more than two weeks after the accident, at 67 m deep. The pilot's body was not found.
In its final report, the British air accident investigation office (AAIB) estimates that the pilot lost control of the aircraft during a maneuver " probably " designed to avoid bad weather so that you can fly on sight.
Small "widespread" private planes
The aircraft, a Piper PA-46 Malibu, crashed in flight because this maneuver was performed at excessive speed. Investigators also believe that the pilot " probably " was poisoned with carbon monoxide by the engine's exhaust system. An interim report had established that the Argentine attacker had been exposed to a level "Potentially fatal" of this invisible and odorless gas.
The investigators also point out that the flight was not carried out under conditions which comply with the standards which apply to commercial flights. The pilot flew by sight at night in difficult weather conditions when he was not licensed to fly this type of aircraft or to fly at night, they noted. The plane was launched at a speed of 270 miles per hour (435 km / h) at the time of the impact with water, according to the AAIB, excluding any hope of survival.
Welcoming the publication of the report as a "Important step in understanding the facts surrounding this tragedy", Cardiff club noted that report highlights challenge to authorities posed by illegal practice of small private aircraft, "Which is widely used in the world of football" endangers"Countless lives".
Nantes still claims payment for the transfer
In a press release, Crispin Orr, chief aviation accident inspector, noted that investigators had "Makes important safety recommendations which, if fully implemented, would significantly reduce the risk of such an accident recurring".
The recommendations relate to making the presence of a carbon monoxide detector mandatory on aircraft fitted with a piston engine and to improving the monitoring of pilot qualifications.
"The investigation into how the flight was managed continues", said police in Dorset (a county in south-west England), which promised to "Keep helping" the Civil Aviation Authority and its own investigations. Since the accident, Nantes has claimed payment from the Welsh club for the transfer. At the end of September, FIFA agreed with Nantes and ordered the payment of a first tranche of 6 million euros, but Cardiff seized the Sports Arbitral Tribunal (CAS), whose decision is not expected before June. The Cardiff club, meanwhile, filed a complaint in Nantes against X which targets the terms of the transfer and the organization of the flight.
