Dorset inquest hears faulty exhaust is likely to have poisoned Emiliano Sala
A hearing into the death of the footballer is ongoing
An inquest in Dorset has heard the most likely cause of high levels of carbon monoxide in the cabin of a plane carrying footballer Emiliano Sala was a faulty exhaust system.
28 year old Argentine strike Emiliano Sala died alongside 59-year-old pilot David Ibbotson when the aircraft crashed into the sea near Guernsey during from a flight from Frances to Wales in January 2019.
The hearing in Bournemouth has been taking in evidence from an inspector from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Brian McDermid told the Coroner's Court that there were only two plausible explanations for the build-up of carbon monoxide in the Piper Malibu plane - fire or a damaged exhaust.
He said that as there was no evidence of a fire in the cabin of the single-engine aircraft prior to the crash and therefore the exhaust system was the likely cause.
Mr McDermid said carbon monoxide was odourless and tasteless and piston engine exhaust fumes contained between 5% to 7% carbon monoxide, which can result in death in between one and three minutes:
"We first became aware of carbon monoxide being an issue when we received the toxicology report. At that point we had been looking at a loss of control in flight and flight break up."
The jury has previously heard toxicological tests on samples of Sala's blood showed a carbon monoxide blood saturation level of 58%, which a pathologist described as "severe poisoning".
The inquest was told light aircraft pilots were encouraged to carry carbon monoxide detectors on flights but this was not mandatory.
Brian McDermid from the AAIB said:
"One of the problems of carbon monoxide is its odourless and in the cabin you may not be aware of its presence.
"Which is why we think the use of carbon monoxide detectors in light aircraft should be mandatory - at the moment they are not. Pilots are advised to carry them but it's not mandatory."
Later, Mr McDermid told the inquest there was no record of a pressure testing being carried out on the plane's exhaust system, although there was no legal requirement to do so.
"When the aircraft left that last maintenance check there was no evidence to suggest that the aircraft was not serviceable or fit to do that flight," he said.
"Something on the way to Nantes - that bang. We tried and talked to a lot of people. What could it possibly be and was it a release of energy that weakened something?
"I would have had an engineer look at the aircraft to find out what the bang was - things just don't happen for no reason."
The inquest continues.