The pilot of the plane carrying the professional footballer Emiliano Sala was not licensed to fly the aircraft when it plunged into the sea, killing both of them, an official report has concluded.
David Ibbotson had not completed night-flying training and his private pilot’s licence did not permit him to be paid for carrying passengers, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found.
The regulations under which the Piper Malibu light aircraft was operated also meant it should have not been flown commercially. Investigators found such unlicensed flights frequently took place in the world of sport, business and leisure.
Argentinian striker Sala, 28, was flying from Nantes in France to his new club Cardiff City when the aircraft plunged into the Channel on 21 January 2019. His body was recovered but the body of David Ibbotson, 59, from Lincolnshire, has not been found.
According to the report, Ibbotson heard a “bang” or “boom” during the outward flight to Nantes and “sensed” mist in the aircraft – but may have felt under pressure to make the return flight.
Investigators believe Ibbotson was probably suffering from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning when the accident happened, caused by a fault in the exhaust tailpipe that allowed gas to enter the cabin through the heating system.
The AAIB called for it to be made mandatory for planes to carry CO monitors – which it said cost as little as £15 but could tackle what they described as the “silent killer” of CO. During a press conference AIIB investigators emphasised that a more experienced and qualified pilot may well have also been overcome with fumes.
The report found that Ibbotson was probably manoeuvring to avoid poor weather – heavy rain showers - just before the plane crashed. The plane entered the water upside down and was travelling at 245 knots when the maximum speed allowed is 203 knots.
Conclusions included:
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The pilot lost control of the aircraft during a manually-flown turn.
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The aircraft suffered an in-flight break up while manoeuvring at an airspeed significantly in excess of its design manoeuvring speed.
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The pilot was probably affected by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
The report reveals that the relevant rating on the pilot’s EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) licence expired in November 2018 - so he was not qualified to fly the aircraft at the time of the accident.
The pilot’s PPL (private pilot’s licence) did not permit him to be paid for flying – but investigators found he was being paid a fee to carry Sala. The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating issues including who, if anyone, hired Ibbotson to fly Sala.
According to the report, it is likely the pilot felt some pressure to complete the return leg of the flight even though it was at night and in poor weather.
The report said: “The regulations under which the aircraft was operated and maintained permitted it to be used for private use only. No permission had been sought or granted allowing the aircraft to be operated commercially.”
It went on: “It was not being operated in accordance with safety standards applicable to commercial operations.”
The report also said the autopilot had been diagnosed as having an intermittent fault. The autopilot was not engaged at the time of the crash but it has not been established if this was because it was not working or because Ibbotson turned it off.
The investigation found the following contributory factors:
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A loss of control was made more likely because the flight was not conducted in accordance with safety standards applicable to commercial operations. This manifested itself in the flight being operated ... at night in poor weather conditions despite the pilot having no training in night flying and a lack of recent practice in instrument flying.
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There was no CO detector with an active warning in the aircraft which might have alerted the pilot to the presence of CO in time for him to take mitigating action.
In a statement Cardiff City said the report raised a number of questions it hoped about the crash and so-called unlicensed “grey” charter flights.
The club said: “The report focuses on flight conditions, the plane and the pilot, and concludes that a plane that was permitted to be used for private use only, was being used commercially, thus operating outside the safety standards applicable for commercial operations.
“A number of mechanical and technical faults in the plane were also found, the most serious being that carbon monoxide had entered the cabin affecting both the passenger and pilot.
“Furthermore, the pilot was not qualified to fly the aircraft at the time of the accident, nor did his licence permit him to receive remuneration for flying, yet he was to be paid.
“The report also highlights a number of challenges the regulating bodies face in stopping illegal grey charter flights, the widespread use of which in the football industry and more widely is placing countless lives at risk.”
source https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/mar/13/emiliano-sala-pilot-of-plane-that-crashed-was-not-licensed-to-fly
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