FOOTBALLER Emiliano Sala died as a result of a plane crash, having been overcome by toxic levels of carbon monoxide during an unlicensed commercial flight, an inquest jury has concluded.

The Argentina-born striker died from head and chest injuries but was deeply unconscious, having been poisoned by fumes from the plane’s faulty exhaust system.

The jury at Bournemouth Town Hall found that Sala was a passenger on a private plane, being flown by a pilot who did not have the correct authority to fly at night, which broke up when it crashed into the sea.

The 28-year-old player was on board the Piper Malibu flying from Nantes in France to Wales on the evening of January 21 2019 when it crashed in the English Channel close to Guernsey, also killing pilot David Ibbotson, 59, whose body has never been found.

Sala was joining then Premier League club Cardiff City in a £15 million transfer from French Ligue 1 side Nantes, which involved football agent Willie McKay.

Pathologist Dr Basil Purdue said Sala had been overcome by “severe poisoning” and would have been “deeply unconscious” prior to the single-engine plane crashing.

Dr Purdue said Sala was still alive at the point of impact and died from severe head and chest injuries.

An engineering expert said the most likely cause for the build-up of carbon monoxide inside the cabin was from the plane’s faulty exhaust system.

Pilot and businessman David Henderson, 67, managed the aircraft on behalf of its owner and arranged flights, pilots and maintenance, despite not being the legally registered operator.

A long-time client was Mr McKay, who was helping his son Mark’s firm represent Nantes in the transfer.

Mr McKay, who was barred at the time from acting as an agent in the transfer in his own right because he was an undischarged bankrupt, arranged the flights to and from Nantes after Sala had completed a medical in Cardiff.

He said he only wanted to help Sala get home, and claimed Cardiff City had “abandoned” him.

Mr McKay denied knowingly arranging illegal “grey” flights – private charters carrying paying passengers – as Mr Henderson did not have an air operator’s certificate (AOC) that would have allowed him to fly paying passengers.

As well as not having an AOC, the court heard that Mr Henderson kept no records or invoices for his business, or the qualifications of the pilots who flew for him.

Mr Ibbotson had reported to Mr Henderson that he heard a loud bang on the outward flight from Cardiff to Nantes – but an engineer was never asked to investigate when the plane landed in France.

He had been banned from flying the Piper Malibu by its owner following two airspace infringements months earlier, but Mr Henderson allowed him to continue.

Mr Ibbotson held a private pilot’s licence, which did not permit him to fly passengers commercially, and was not allowed to fly at night either.

Last year Mr Henderson was jailed for 18 months after being convicted of endangering the safety of an aircraft for using Mr Ibbotson’s services when he knew he did not have the relevant licences.

He admitted a further offence of trying to arrange a flight for a passenger without permission or authorisation.

 

Here is a timeline of events leading up to the death of footballer Emiliano Sala in a plane crash in the English Channel.

  • August 2015: The Piper Malibu aircraft is purchased by Southern Aircraft Consultancy, a company that specialises in organising the ownership of aircraft into trusts. The trust is Cool Flourish Ltd, a family company of which Fay Keely is the director and secretary. Ms Keely asks David Henderson, a friend of her late father, to deal with the day-to-day management of the plane. The aircraft is hired out by Mr Henderson on 34 occasions between October 2015 and January 2019.
  • June 2018: David Ibbotson, who holds a private pilot’s licence, begins flying the aircraft commercially for Mr Henderson.
  • July 6 2018: Ms Keely receives two airspace infringements for times when Mr Ibbotson was the pilot. She asks Mr Henderson not to use Mr Ibbotson again.
  • August 5 2018: Mr Ibbotson flies the aircraft again.
  • November 30 2018: The last annual maintenance inspection is carried out, including checks on the exhaust system. Cardiff City FC begin negotiations to sign Emiliano Sala from Nantes FC.
  • January 8 2019: Representatives from Cardiff City, including then-manager Neil Warnock, fly to Nantes to watch Sala play. Media reports suggest the player does not want to join Cardiff City.
  • January 18 2019: Sala travels to Cardiff and undergoes a medical as part of his £15 million transfer. He wishes to return to Nantes for a few days to say goodbye to teammates. Football agent Willie McKay, who is involved in the transfer, contacts Mr Henderson to organise return flights from Cardiff to Nantes.
  • January 19, 2019: The outward flight from Cardiff to Nantes is flown by Mr Ibbotson with Sala as a passenger.  2.05pm: The plane lands at Nantes and Mr Ibbotson indicates to Mr Henderson that he has encountered difficulties with the aircraft and reports hearing a “bang”, which he also described as a “boom”. Mr Henderson speaks with David Smith, an aircraft engineer with Eastern Air Executive, and then speaks again to Mr Ibbotson. A French mechanic inspects the brakes but not the exhaust system.
  • January 21 2019: The return flight, which was scheduled for 9am, is pushed back to 7pm. 8.12pm: The last radio contact is made with Jersey air traffic control. 8.16pm: The Piper Malibu crashes into the English Channel near Guernsey.
  • February 3 2019: The wreckage of the plane is found.
  • February 6 2019: Sala’s body is recovered but there is no trace of Mr Ibbotson.
  • October 18 2021: David Henderson goes on trial at Cardiff Crown Court accused of endangering the safety of an aircraft in relation to the fatal flight. He has already admitted a charge of attempting to discharge a passenger without valid permission or authorisation.
  • October 28 2021: A jury convicts Henderson of the single charge he faces.
  • November 12 2021: A judge jails Henderson for 18 months.
  • February 15 2022: An inquest into Sala’s death resumes at Dorset Coroner’s Court in Bournemouth.
  • March 17: A jury finds Sala died from head and trunk injuries when the unlicenced flight he was a passenger in crashed into the English Channel.