Reckon - Agent paid Henderson to pilot the plane but, as it was meant to be 09:00 departure, he passed it on to Ibbotson on the understanding that is was a cost sharing trip (between pilot and passenger, so legal), Sala delayed departure to 19:00, over hour after sunset, Ibbotson didn't want to let anyone down so took off, ditching into the Channel later due to colour blindness / not enough experience flying at night etc.
Also, the pilot and plane were hired by Sala's agent. That will muddy the waters. If Cardiff or Nantes had directly hired the plane, that could have gone a long way to determining who owed who, what. Now it will have to be determined who the agent was acting FOR, Nantes or Cardiff. Given it was heading TO Cardiff....
Cardiff now say they have requested a meeting with Nantes but Nantes haven't responded. Not surprised really, as why do they need a meeting to tell Cardiff "you owe us a transfer fee".
Still beyond me how Cardiff are trying to wriggle out of paying for him, pretty shameful really. There's photos of him signing a contract, pictured holding their shirt with the owner/chairman, and he was flying to Cardiff for training the next day.
Cardiff now say they have requested a meeting with Nantes but Nantes haven't responded. Not surprised really, as why do they need a meeting to tell Cardiff "you owe us a transfer fee".
Still beyond me how Cardiff are trying to wriggle out of paying for him, pretty shameful really. There's photos of him signing a contract, pictured holding their shirt with the owner/chairman, and he was flying to Cardiff for training the next day.
Exactly. If the issue was with his contract and he had landed safely would Cardiff have sent him back? No, they would have changed the payments and amended the contract.
I see that Sala's father has now passed away suddenly. RIP Horacio.
R I P .. such a sad situation .. we all know how we'd feel if one of our sons died so tragically, especially when Cardiff City are doing their utmost to deny any responsibility for his welfare, even so far as to deny that he was 'ever their player'
Barney Ronay is one of my favourite football writers (despite him being a Spanner), and he has written this piece on the tragedy which is careful, nuanced and yet still nailing a few things. There are a couple of lines here which I'd highlight because they are relevant to remarks I made earlier in this thread which some found hard to accept...
Here’s a good question: why was McKay involved in this at all? Not that it should be a surprise. At least five intermediaries are due a cut from this deal.
We are all in this to some degree. From the money-lust culture of the English Premier League to the startling way the story itself was covered at the time in rolling news media, as though this search for a body was just another development in a breaking transfer story, another detail of the club medical, a dramatic change of heart from the in-demand Ligue 1 forward
My guess it's either whoever chose the pilot knowing he was technically unqualified to fly at night, or perhaps an aircraft engineer who'd signed off on the plane being fit for travel and it wasn't.
My guess it's either whoever chose the pilot knowing he was technically unqualified to fly at night, or perhaps an aircraft engineer who'd signed off on the plane being fit for travel and it wasn't.
He's been arrested, on suspicion of manslaughter, following an unlawful act. So it looks more likely to be the latter than the former, I would guess.
Apparently the guy arrested (but since released and not charged), is the pilot who was originally booked for the flight, but then pulled out and drafted in Ibbotson.
Makes sense, he would have or should have known Ibbotson's qualifications. Also, I can't see how the agent that booked it can be charged with manslaughter seeing as they will not be aircraft experts and they hired somebody who does these things as a business.
Apparently the guy arrested (but since released and not charged), is the pilot who was originally booked for the flight, but then pulled out and drafted in Ibbotson.
Obviously i don't wish to speak ill of the dead, but surely at some point Ibbotson should've said a) i'm not qualified to do this journey or b) this plane isn't safe. Or both.
Of course you are right, but he can't be charged with manslaughter as he is dead. The question has to be whether anybody else was aware who would have been in a position to make key decisions and it looks like that might be the case.
Comments
Just my theory
Still beyond me how Cardiff are trying to wriggle out of paying for him, pretty shameful really. There's photos of him signing a contract, pictured holding their shirt with the owner/chairman, and he was flying to Cardiff for training the next day.
If the issue was with his contract and he had landed safely would Cardiff have sent him back? No, they would have changed the payments and amended the contract.
RIP
RIP
Here’s a good question: why was McKay involved in this at all? Not that it should be a surprise. At least five intermediaries are due a cut from this deal.
We are all in this to some degree. From the money-lust culture of the English Premier League to the startling way the story itself was covered at the time in rolling news media, as though this search for a body was just another development in a breaking transfer story, another detail of the club medical, a dramatic change of heart from the in-demand Ligue 1 forward
My guess it's either whoever chose the pilot knowing he was technically unqualified to fly at night, or perhaps an aircraft engineer who'd signed off on the plane being fit for travel and it wasn't.
[Caveat - this is just my wild speculation]
A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to the death of Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala who died in a plane crash.
The striker, who had signed with Cardiff City, was killed in the crash along with pilot David Ibbotson.
A spokesperson for Dorset Police said a 64-year-old man from North Yorkshire had been arrested and released while investigations continue.
The force added the families of the two men who died had been informed.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48694561
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7159559/Police-arrest-man-64-North-Yorkshire-death-Cardiff-City-footballer-Emiliano-Sala.html