Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala was “deeply unaware” of poisoning due to exhaust fumes before he died of serious head and chest injuries in a plane crash in 2019, a jury concluded.
Key points:
- Sala died when the plane he was on crashed into the English Channel
- The investigation found that the pilot did not have the proper authority to fly at night
- The football star had been “deeply unconscious” due to “severe poisoning” before the crash
Sala died when the single-engine Piper Malibu plane he was traveling in crashed into the English Channel. He was flying to join his new team, Cardiff, in Wales after signing for French club Nantes.
The jury, in an investigation at Bournemouth Town Hall, found that pilot David Ibbotson did not have the proper authority to fly at night.
The plane crashed as it fell into the sea. Mr Ibbotson’s body was never found.
‘Severe poisoning’
Pathologist Basil Purdue said the sala was overcome by “severe poisoning” due to a build-up of carbon monoxide in the cabin due to the plane’s defective exhaust system and had been “deeply unconscious” before the plane crashed.
Dr Purdue said Sala was still alive at the point of impact and died from severe head and chest injuries.
The pilot and businessman David Henderson operated the aircraft on behalf of its owner and arranged flights, pilots and maintenance, although not the legally registered operator.
Henderson was sentenced in November to 18 months in prison after he was already found guilty by a majority sentence of endangering the safety of an aircraft.
He had previously admitted a separate offense for discharging a passenger without valid permission or authorization.
AP
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