Tributes were left to Emiliano Sala outside Cardiff City’s stadium (Aaron Chown/PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)The government has been urged to lead a crackdown on illegal flights in the wake of footballer Emiliano Sala’s death, in a bid to avert future tragedies.
Sala, 28, was on board a private aircraft making the journey from Nantes to Cardiff when the plane crashed into the English Channel near to Guernsey.
The pilot, David Ibbotson, who also died in the crash, was unqualified while the aircraft - the Piper Malibu - was being operated by a businessman who did not hold a commercial licence, an inquest heard.
Coroner Rachael Griffin has now written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, urging them to take action to stop the market in illegal “grey” flights.
“There could be future deaths as a result of these illegal flights, and I request that the Secretary of State for Transport conducts a review of the powers available to the Civil Aviation Authority in investigating breaches of aviation regulations”, she wrote in her report, asking Mr Shapps to meet with the CAA to discuss the matter.
The coroner said Ms Dorries should review “guidance given to the general public, especially those involved in the sporting and music worlds, about the illegality of these flights and the risks associated with them.”
Ms Griffin copied the letter to a string of major sporting organisations, including the Football Association, the British Horse Racing Authority, the Professional Footballers Association, and senior figures in rugby, tennis, and athletics, asking for her message to go out to all members.
She said the organisations have already been contacted by the CAA about the dangers of illegal flights after Sala’s death, but none of them responded.
“It is important that these organisations make their members aware of the risks associated with these flights”, Ms Griffin added.
Sala was on the cusp of a £15 million transfer to Cardiff when, on January 21 2019, the plane he was on crashed, causing fatal head and chest injuries.
Football agent Willie McKay had arranged the transfer, with pilot and businessman David Henderson, 67, managing the single-engine aircraft on behalf of its owner and arranged flights, pilots and maintenance, despite not being the legally registered operator.
The inquest heard 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, when Sala had been flown over to say goodbye to his teammates. However, an engineer was never asked to investigate the noise when the plane landed in France.
Mr Ibbotson held a private pilot’s licence, which did not permit him to fly passengers commercially, was not allowed to fly at night, and his rating for the Piper Malibu had expired.
Last year, Mr Henderson was jailed for 18 months after being convicted of endangering the safety of an aircraft by 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.
In her report, Ms Griffin pointed out that the prosecution of Mr Henderson had relied heavily on evidence which was obtained by the police, using their powers.
She raised a concern that the CAA does not have the power to seize electronic devices for inspection, potentially restricting their investigation.
“The CAA investigator provided evidence at the inquest that without the support from the police in their investigation linked to Emiliano’s death, it is unlikely the CAA would have been able to secure the criminal prosecution”, said the coroner.
“This lack of powers means that the CAA are restricted in their ability to access information which may lead them to identify the illegal flights that are taking place.”
The government and sporting bodies have been asked to respond to the coroner’s report by May 13.
