French authorities discover parts of seat cushions believed to be from plane carrying missing soccer player Emiliano Sala
The plane carrying Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson disappeared as Sala was on his way to join his new team, the Premier League's Cardiff City, on Jan. 21.
LONDON — Parts of seat cushions believed to be from the small plane carrying Argentine soccer player Emiliano Sala and his pilot that disappeared over the English Channel have been found on a French beach, British authorities said Wednesday.
The cushions were discovered by French authorities on Monday near Surtainville, a coastal area in northwestern France, Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch said in a statement.
British investigators have identified a search area of approximately 4 square miles based on the plane’s path and last known radar position. A specialist vessel will search the seabed for the wreckage at the end of this week, weather permitting, the statement added.
“We are aware that a privately operated search is also being conducted in the area, and we are liaising closely with those involved to maximize the chance of locating any wreckage and ensure a safe search operation,” the statement said.
Sala, a 28-year-old forward, had recently been transferred to the Premier League club Cardiff City after emerging as a prolific goal scorer for Nantes, in the French league. The plane carrying him and the pilot, David Ibbotson, disappeared en route to Cardiff on Jan. 21; Sala was scheduled to practice with the Welsh team for the first time the next day.
An underwater search conducted by a high-tech submarine is scheduled to start at the end of the week, in what will be a privately led attempt to find the Piper Malibu plane, a single-engine, propeller-driven aircraft.
The initiative to start the private operation was made by Sala’s family, after authorities decided end the search on Thursday.
But people from all over the world have chipped in to help support of the family’s search for answers about what happened. Sport Cover, a Paris-based soccer agency, started a GoFundMe page on Friday that by Wednesday evening had raised more than 369,000 euros, about $422,000, to aid the search.
The page has attracted a significant amount of attention, including donations by soccer stars like Kylian Mbappé, a member of the French national team that won the World Cup last year, and Ilkay Gündogan, a German player with Manchester City in the Premier League.
Cardiff City paid tribute to Sala on Tuesday, at its first match since he disappeared, against Arsenal in London. Players and staff wore daffodils in his honor, and his name was included in the team roster in the match-day program. Both Cardiff and Arsenal, which won the match, laid floral tributes to Sala at Emirates Stadium.
At several English Premier League matches this week, the teams observed a moment of silence in memory of Sala.
“It is very difficult to even describe how the players are feeling,” Sol Bamba, a Cardiff defender, told BBC Sport Wales.
“We have all been affected by it — the lads, the city, the whole club.”
News reports have questioned whether Ibbotson should have been piloting the plane. He held a private pilot’s license in the United States, and his medical certification was up to date, according to records on the Federal Aviation Administration’s website.
But to fly the plane in Britain with a paying passenger, Ibbotson needed a commercial pilot’s license, and to fly at night, he needed a so-called instrument rating. Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority declined to comment on Ibbotson’s credentials, but authorities said the investigation into the plane’s disappearance would cover personnel records.
The flight went through rough, wintry weather over the Channel, and Sala left a voice message for friends and relatives saying that he was afraid that the plane would break apart.
“This would not have posed a problem for a pilot with a current instrument rating, but difficult for a pilot without one,” David Learmount, a former flight instructor, said in an email.
Shortly before the plane vanished from radar, Ibbotson requested and received permission from air traffic control to descend to 2,500 feet, possibly to go under the worst of the weather, or to avoid icing, which can cause a plane to crash.
Willie McKay, Sala’s agent, has told the BBC that he was not involved in selecting the plane or the pilot and that he did not own the plane that flew Sala. He said the flight was organized through a man named David Henderson, “who has flown us and many of our players all over Europe on countless occasions.”
