Inquest concludes Emiliano Sala suffered carbon monoxide poisoning in fatal plane crash
The footballer died whilst on route to Wales from France
Last updated 17th Mar 2022
An inquest into the death of footballer Emiliano Sala has concluded that he suffered carbon monoxide poisoning during a plane crash that killed him in January 2019.
In its closing remarks, the inquest jury concluded that Sala died as a result of the plane which was carrying him being filled with the deadly, odourless gas - from the plane's exhaust system.
The Argentinian forward was being transferred from the French city of Nantes to Cardiff when the unlicensed commercial plane he was in disappeared over the English Channel on January 21st, 2019.
A talented footballer, Sala was on route to play for Cardiff City F.C. after being bought by the club for around £15 million.
Following intensive searches across the English Channel, the wreckage of the plane was found some two weeks later near the Channel Islands, where Sala's body was also discovered. The pilot was never found, despite efforts to locate him.
After the discovery of the plane, an inquest was set up in order to find the cause of the crash which led to the footballer's death.
The inquest jury heard from people who had organised the flight, as well as representatives from Cardiff City F.C.
In November 2019, David Henderson - who had organised the flight and had initially intended to be the pilot for the journey - was sentenced to 18 months in jail on the charge of endangering the safety of an aircraft.
A statement from the Sala family:
A statement from the Sala family's lawyer said that they accepted the findings of the inquest, saying it had shone a light on unknown details of the crash.
“Emiliano’s family would like to thank the coroner and the jury for their hard work on this case. They welcome the detailed investigation and the jury’s diligent questioning and are grateful for the opportunity for members of the family to attend the hearing remotely from Argentina," the statement read.
“This inquest has exposed the complex facts leading to Emiliano’s untimely death. It has shone a bright light on many of the missed opportunities in the worlds of football and aviation to prevent his tragic death.
“The family particularly note the jury’s findings that it is likely that both the pilot and Emiliano suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning and that Emiliano was deeply unconscious at the time of the accident, and that the poisoning was caused by a failure in the aircraft exhaust system.
“The family also welcome the coroner’s decision to communicate to the relevant authorities her concerns about the safety issues arising from this inquest in order to prevent similar future deaths. No family should have to go through grief from a similar avoidable accident.”