Where is the investigation into the death of Emiliano Sala?

• A year ago, to the day, Emiliano Sala disappeared in a plane crash.
• 20 Minutes returns to the last gray areas of the investigation and the legal dispute between FC Nantes and Cardiff on the transfer regulation

A year to the day after the plane crashing Emiliano Sala and Dave Ibbotson, the investigation into the causes of the accident is far from over, as is the controversy over the non-payment of the transfer by Cardiff. 20 Minutes attempts to summarize the latest questions about the disappearance of the former FC Nantes striker.

Do we know why and how the plane crashed?

Always not. Since the wreck of the Piper Malibu N264DB was found on February 3, 68 meters deep off Guernesay, a few dozen meters from the last known radar contact, the British AAIB, for Air Accident Investigation branch (the BEA equivalent), published several official reports on the accident. On February 25, Geraint Herbert, the inspector in charge of the AIBB investigation, explained that the aircraft fulfilled all the conditions for the night flight between Cardiff and Nantes. Leaving the factory in 1984, the aircraft had a flight certificate valid until 2012 and had been revised a few weeks before the crash in November 2018.

Debris from the Piper Malibu was located on February 3, 2019. - HO / AFP / AAIB

The last update on the investigation dates back to August 14. In a much shorter report, the AIBB revealed that Emiliano Sala and Dave Ibbotson, the pilot, were exposed to extremely harmful levels of carbon monoxide shortly before the plane crashed into the sea. A deadly gas in high doses, especially when it is combined with hemoglobin to form COHb, named after the substance found during toxicological analyzes carried out on the remains of Emiliano Sala. A saturation rate of 58%, when science considers that a threshold of 50%, potentially fatal, can lead to loss of consciousness or heart attack.

Principal Inspector of Air Accidents Geraint Herbert warns about the danger of carbon monoxide. pic.twitter.com/e6767DoHKa

How did this odorless gas, produced by piston engines but normally evacuated from the device by the exhaust system, get inside? The AIBB mentions "a poor seal of the cabin or leaks in the heating and ventilation systems", while explaining that its staff continues to investigate "all the factors that may have contributed to the accident".

When will the AAIB final report be delivered?

Natural question with regard to what has been explained above. A preliminary hearing ( pre-inquest review in the British justice system) was held on November 6 in Bournemouth, since the body of Sala had been repatriated at the time on the sea coast of Dorset before being buried in Argentina. Represented by lawyer Matthew Reeve, of the London law firm Hickman & Rose, the family deplored that the wreckage of the plane was never recovered to help clarify the reasons for the accident. The operation is now impossible.

Update: AAIB investigation into the loss of light aircraft N264DB https://t.co/nlUR7G0fyZ pic.twitter.com/88z6YjOBgP

The wreck hunter David Mearns, the one who had found the Piper Malibu thanks to the kitty financed among other things by many active footballers, would have made a new location in late October 2019, establishing that the remains of the cabin were now scattered over several kilometers. "The remains of the wreckage are no longer located where they were found, and most of the debris should not remain in place for very long," said Matthew Moore at the Coroner Court in Bournemouth.

Also present at the hearing, Geraint Herbert replied that the conditions were not met at the time of the discovery of the device so that the divers could work in complete safety. The AAIB inspector added that he believed that the recovery of the debris would not be of much help to the investigation into the causes of the crash: "We decided at the time [in February] that we would not go back underwater, and nothing that I have seen or read since has altered this belief that there was no need to go back up the plane. ”

A pre-inquest review in Bournemouth has heard that the Sala family organized a search of the crash site two weeks ago but the sonar showed the wreckage was no longer there.

The conclusions of the AAIB are still expected before the next hearing, scheduled for March 16. Contacted by 20 Minutes , Geraint Herbert did not wish to respond to our request for an interview on the latest advances in the investigation. Crispin Orr, chief inspector at the AAIB, still sent us the following statement:

“The AAIB has conducted an in-depth investigation. All the technical, operational, organizational and human factors that may have contributed to the accident were studied. We worked in close coordination with the manufacturer of the device and the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States. The AAIB published two interim reports on the causes of the accident, the first with factual information, the second with medical explanations concerning the exposure to carbon mononyde. Our investigation is now at an advanced stage, and our final report should be published at the end of March 2020 ”.

Have we found the body of Dave Ibbotson?

No, and it is a no which seems final, unfortunately. In its report of February 25, the AAIB indicates that "despite extensive searches around the remains of the wreckage, no trace of the second occupant of the aircraft could be found". The pilot's family has in turn imagined a kitty to continue looking for them, but the 250,000 euros in donations have not changed anything. The remains of this 59-year-old father have not been found.

Returning to Guernsey having completed this morning a thorough search of the Piper Malibu wreckage, 2 highly experienced technical divers spent 20 mins searching & filming the plane, sadly there was absolutely no sign of the pilot David Ibbotson.

While several British media have questioned the qualities of David Ibbotson's pilot, the BBC for example claiming that his private license did not allow him to fly at night because of his color blindness, a book published a few days ago dares a surprising theory, bordering on conspiracy. What if Ibbotson had survived? British journalist Harry Harris, collaborator of the Telegraph on the case and renowned author of The killing of Emiliano Sala , only available in English, explains:

“The choice of words is important. It is not murder, but it is not quite an accident either. Ibbotson was half DJ, half plumber, half amateur pilot. In addition, there were four proceedings against him launched for debt collection. And it is he that we choose to transport a player who is worth 20 million euros? In addition, it turns out that he was an excellent paratrooper. The plane was supposed to be saturated with carbon monoxide, and we can't find it in the aircraft? Could he have ejected before the crash? I am not saying that this is what happened, but that is part of the ideas that were submitted to me during this investigation ”

Glad you guys enjoyed the book @amazonUk
and that it was as you put it "a real eye-opener". Looking forward to your questions this morning @ACECast_Nation https://t.co/scaq3KCqDK pic.twitter.com/2lzfC1M7Yd

Questioned by 20 Minutes , David Barker, captain of the port of Guernesay and head of rescue operations last January, was more than skeptical: "Why we have not found any remains of him, it is difficult to explain. But he hit the water at very high speed and the nose first so he was under tremendous pressure at the time of impact. Either he was ejected at that time, or he was smashed and his body would have been lifted from the plane once in the water. It happens that bodies reappear from the water after six to eight months, sometimes even more. But I don't think, after a year, that we can find it. ”

Will an investigation be launched for manslaughter?

In addition to the technical investigation into the causes of the crash, Dorset police are continuing their intelligence work to find out whether there should be criminal proceedings for manslaughter. This is where David Henderson, the pilot originally requested by agent Willie McKay, comes in to transport Emiliano Sala from Nantes to Cardiff.

The 64-year-old man was arrested on June 20 before being released. According to our information, his name appeared in administrative documents on the day of departure of the plane, which would have attested to his presence in Nantes. A location that the experienced pilot has always denied, the security cameras showing only two people on the tarmac before takeoff, Ibbotson and Sala. According to Willie McKay's version, it would be a confusion linked to the fact that David Henderson had lent his credit card to Dave Ibbotson, to whom he had subcontracted the flight for an unknown reason, the time of his stay in Brittany. The man, several times employed by the British agent before the Sala affair, never responded to the media.

"Documents show that he was the pilot of this plane," assures Harry Harris. Why did he never get on board? We don't know what he said to the police, but we do know that he refused to collaborate with Cardiff when the club wanted to ask him about the theft. ” Asked, the police authorities of Bournemouth, who did not hear anyone except this famous David Henderson, did not wish to give more information. "There is no progress in the investigation at this stage and no deadline to complete our research"

Nantes will he be paid one day by Cardiff?

After the time of amazement and meditation, financial issues were quick to (re) take over. Emiliano Sala cost Cardiff nearly 20 million euros, which quickly explored all legal avenues to delay payment in three installments, according to the deal with FC Nantes. Seized by both parties, Fifa ended up choosing sides, requiring the Welsh club to comply with its commitments on pain of being banned from transfer window.

The file of the transfer of Emiliano #Sala to the #TAS

💬After being ordered by FIFA to pay € 6 million to Nantes for the transfer of Emiliano Sala, Cardiff appealed to the CAS #FcNantes #cardiffcity pic.twitter.com/ml7mGaeFvG

All the arguments put forward by Cardiff were rejected at the start of November by the player's statutes commission, which notably ruled on the validity of the Argentinian contract. From the moment when the Welsh league had entered all the documents necessary for the qualification of Sala 2 hours before he got into the Piper Malibu, "the transfer of the player must be considered as validly concluded by both parties. Therefore, Sala was indeed a Cardiff player ".

Relegated to the 2nd division, the Welsh club quickly appealed to the Sports Arbitral Tribunal (CAS). “The two clubs have agreed on the schedule for the written procedure, which should last until the end of April 2020, we were informed in Lausanne. A hearing will then be scheduled, but the useful decision should not take place before June 2020 ”. If, meanwhile, the amount is frozen by the leaders of the Bluebirds, FC Nantes hopes of course "win and be paid," says one internally.

However, Cardiff does not intend to abdicate easily. The cabinet of Eric Dupont-Moretti confirmed at 20 minutes that the criminal lawyer had agreed to take care of Welsh interests in France. The objective? Initiate proceedings for possible negligence against FC Nantes before the French courts. The showdown is just beginning.

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