‘One occupant visible’ in Emiliano Sala plane wreckage – investigators

The plane’s registration number can be seen on the wreckage which is largely in one piece, shipwreck hunter David Mearns said.

A body can be seen in the wreckage of the plane that was carrying footballer Emiliano Sala, investigators say. Video footage taken by a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) confirmed the wreckage found yesterday off Guernsey’s coast was the Piper Malibu aircraft.

It disappeared from radar on 21 January with the newly signed Cardiff City footballer, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson, 59, onboard as they flew from Nantes to Wales.

On the rear left side of the fuselage the aircraft’s registration number – N264DB – can be seen in the ROV footage. “Tragically, in video footage from the ROV, one occupant is visible amidst the wreckage, a statement from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said.

“The AAIB is now considering the next steps, in consultation with the families of the pilot and passenger, and the police. “The aircraft was discovered on Sunday morning by a private crowdfunded team from Blue Water Recoveries led by director and “Shipwreck Hunter” David Mearns.

Their ship, the Morven, identified an object of interest on the seabed almost in the middle of a narrowed down search area shared with the AAIB’s vessel, the Geo Ocean III, which then used its ROV to survey the area in more detail.

Source- Sky news