Emiliano Sala: Pilot was told to stop flying plane, inquest told

The owner of the plane which crashed killing footballer Emiliano Sala has told his inquest she banned the pilot from flying it six months previously.

Fay Keely said she was "not confident" of David Ibbotson's abilities or his "care of" the plane.

Mr Sala, 28, died when the Piper Malibu crashed into the English Channel near Guernsey on 21 January 2019 as it flew from Nantes in France to Cardiff.

His body was recovered in February 2019.

The body of pilot Mr Ibbotson, 59, has not been found.

The inquest at Bournemouth Coroner's Court heard Ms Keely had explicitly requested that he no longer fly the plane, after learning of two airspace infringements he had committed on the same day.

Ms Keely said she contacted David Henderson, a consultant who managed the plane day-to-day, with concerns about Mr Ibbotson in early July 2018.

"I was not happy and not confident the aircraft was within Mr Ibbotson's capabilities… I said he shouldn't be flying it," she said.

In an email exchange with Mr Henderson after learning of the infringements from aviation regulators, Ms Keely said she told him: "I think it best if he doesn't pilot the Piper again… this doesn't give me much confidence in his care of the aircraft."

Asked by senior coroner for Dorset, Rachael Griffin, what response she had received, Ms Keely said Mr Henderson had replied: "Multiple expletives!! D."

Mr Henderson had described Mr Ibbotson as "apologetic" and "mortified" by the errors.

Ms Keely later discovered Mr Ibbotson had flown her sister in the Piper Malibu in August 2018 after Mr Henderson had been unable to pilot the plane himself.

Explaining the arrangement with Mr Henderson for managing the aircraft, Miss Keely said he had given her a list of five or six pilots who would fly the plane, all of whom she understood to have commercial pilot licences.

Mr Ibbotson, who had a private pilot's licence, was not on this list.

Ms Keely said Mr Henderson emailed her on the morning of 22 January, 2019, after the crash, saying: "Hi Fay, I'm afraid I have bad news."

It went on to state that Mr Ibbotson had crashed the plane and there would be a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) investigation as it was carrying a "celebrity footballer".

The inquest was told Mr Henderson advised Ms Keely in a phone call she would need legal advice and that the CAA would have questions for them, but that "they aren't the police, you don't have to speak to them".

Ms Keely said she was concerned about Mr Ibbotson's family, and asked Mr Henderson whether they knew of the crash.

The inquest heard he told her Mr Ibbotson's only family was an ex-wife in Australia.

Nora Ibbotson, Mr Ibbotson's wife, and son Bradley, from Crowle, Lincolnshire, have been present at the inquest daily, but were not in attendance for Ms Keely's evidence.

Ms Keely told the inquest she was unaware of the private flight carrying Emiliano Sala from Cardiff to Nantes on 18 January 2019 and the plan to return to Cardiff on 21 January.

It was only after the crash that Ms Keely became aware that Mr Ibbotson was not a commercial pilot.

Asked by coroner Ms Griffin whether she was aware of any fees paid for the flight or any arrangements for it, she replied: "I was not aware of any circumstances in relation to that flight whatsoever."

The jury heard the Piper Malibu was out of use for a period of time from the latter part of 2017 through to January 2018 for "significant" repair and maintenance work to be done, costing about £20,000.

Ms Keely bought the Piper Malibu in August 2015, concluding the purchase begun by her father before he died, the inquest was told.

The plane was registered with the US aviation authorities through Southern Aircraft Consultancy Incorporated who were, for the purposes of the registration, the owners of the plane.

Ms Keely's family company Cool Flourish Limited was registered as the operator of the aircraft.

The inquest jury heard earlier that the operator was deemed to be "the person with day-to-day control of the aircraft."

But Ms Keely said that following its purchase she never saw the plane and its daily management was through aircraft consultant David Henderson.

Under an informal arrangement with Mr Henderson, he managed the plane on her behalf, ensuring maintenance was kept up to date and any repairs needed were carried out.

He would oversee hiring out of the aircraft to others.

The inquest continues.