Emiliano Sala: Search for missing plane carrying Cardiff City player now a recovery operation

Emiliano Sala: Search for missing plane carrying Cardiff City player now a recovery operation
The search for the plane which went missing over the Channel Islands carrying Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala is now a recovery operation.The Argentine striker was one of two people on board the light aircraft that went missing around 12 milesnorth of Guernsey on Monday night.Sala is believed to have sent voice messages to his friends expressing fears the plane was going to “fall apart shortly before the aircraft disappeared from radar near the Casquets lighthouse, Alderney.4

Sala was on a plane from Nantes to Cardiff when it lost contact with air traffic control

Five aircraft and two lifeboats scoured more than 1,000 square miles on Tuesday but found no traces of the plane.A further 280 square miles were searched over five hours throughout Wednesday, but the operation continued to prove fruitless.The search for the aircraft, which was carrying Brit Dave Ibbotson, a 60-year-old father of three, as well as Sala, has now become a recovery operation.John Fitzgerald, chief officer of Channel Islands Air Search, played down the chances of finding the Piper Malibu.“Sadly, I really don’t think, personally, there is any hope,” Mr Fitzgerald said. “At this time of year the conditions out there are pretty horrendous if you are actually in the water.”It was also confirmed that St Catherine’s lifeboat station had deployed a boat to look into reports of debris at Bouley Bay, Jersey, though it was not indicated whether the debris was the plane in question.A decision will be made later today (Wednesday) to determine whether the search will continue.4

The aircraft went missing just off Alderney, which lies 10 miles from the western border of the Cotentin Peninsula

Sala had been travelling to Cardiff from Nantes after saying goodbye to his former teammates having completed a 15m move to the Premier League club just days earlier.Argentine media reported that the 28-year-old was fearful for his life while on the plane, and released chillingaudio messages sent to friends and relatives on WhatsApp shortly before it disappeared from radar.“Hello, little brothers, how are you crazy? Brother, I’m dead, I was here in Nantes doing thingsand you do not end any more and you do not finish anymore, Sala can be heard saying in the audio released by Argentinian newspaper Ole.Boys, I’m here on top of the plane that looks like it’s about to fall apart. And I’m going to Cardiff, crazy, tomorrow we already started. In the afternoon we started to train, boys, in my new team.“Lets see what happens, so, how are you brothers and sisters, all right?“If in an hour and a half you have no news from me, I dont know if they are going to send someone to look for me because they cannot find me, but you know Dad,I am getting scared.Sala’s dad later confirmed that his son could be heard in the recording.4

Bunches of daffodils and a Cardiff City scarf are left at the foot of the statue of Fred Keenor outside Cardiff City’s football stadium in Cardiff

Cardiff City’s chief executive has said everyone at the club is in “shock” over Sala’s disappearance.Sala had scored 12 goals in 19 games in Ligue 1 for Nantes this season and was brought in to bolster the attack for the Premier League strugglers for a fee of around 15 million.He had been in Nantes on Monday to bid farewell to his former teammates.Sala posted a picture of himself and the squad to his Instagram account with the “La Ultima Ciao” – “The last goodbye”.

La ultima ciao @FCNantes pic.twitter.com/SV1dNHbYYH— Emiliano Sala (@EmilianoSala1) January 21, 2019

The single-turbine engine Piper PA-46 Malibu, carrying the footballer and his pilot, left Nantes at 7.15pm for Cardiff and was flying at an altitude of 5,000ft.As it was passing Guernsey, the pilot “requested descent” but Jersey air traffic control lost contact while it was flying at 2,300ft around 15 miles north of Guernsey.Rescue teams were scrambled but were unable to find anything on Monday night or throughout Tuesday.Nantes supporters sang songs in support of Sala in the heart of the city on Tuesday night.The club, nicknamed the Canaries, called for supporters to join together at Place Royale on Tuesday evening, where yellow tulips and other tributes were laid.4

Nantes supporters gathered to lay flowers

Sala’s father Horacio told Argentinian news channel C5N he was “desperate” after hearing the plane was missing.“I was working, I can’t believe it. I am desperate,” he said. “Hopefully there will be good news.”He added: “I don’t know what could have happened. My family knew nothing, I told them.”Ken Choo, chief executive of the Bluebirds, said: “We were very shocked upon hearing the news that the plane had gone missing.“We expected Emiliano to arrive last night into Cardiff and today was due to be his first day with the team.“Our owner, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, and chairman, Mehmet Dalman, are all very distressed about the situation.”He added: “All of us at Cardiff City FC would like to thank our fans, and the entire footballing family for their support at this difficult time.”

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