Emiliano Sala death flight: Man in court over doomed plane crash that killed footballer

A PILOT arrived at court today to stand trial over the death of football star Emiliano Sala after his flight crashed in the English Channel.

David Henderson, 66, is charged over the death of £15 million striker Sala, 28, who was killed on the flight to Britain from his French club, Nantes.

AFP

David Henderson, 66, has arrived at court to stand trial over the death of football star Emiliano Sala[/caption]

AFP

The 28-year-old striker died in a plane crash on January 2019[/caption]

Henderson recruited David Ibbotson as a last-minute stand-in to fly the plane.

Striker Sala was on his way to the UK to sign for Cardiff City when the tragedy happened.

The Argentine ace and pilot Mr Ibbotson died when the plane crashed into the water north of Guernsey on January 21, 2019.

PLANE TRAGEDY

Argentinian Sala was much feted ahead of his planned Premier League move to Cardiff City.

There was a huge outpouring of grief following his death with thousands of fans leaving tributes at the stadium.

Sala’s body was recovered the following month, but the body of 59-year-old Ibbotson has not been found.

Henderson was originally feared to be on the plane because his bank details had been used to book the flight.

He allegedly recruited Mr Ibbotson for return flights that weekend heading to and from France both with Sala on board.

He flew from Cardiff on January 18 before the fatal flight from Nantes on January 21.

 CHARGE

The court heard Henderson had been charged under the Air Navigation Order (2016).

He denied “endangering the safety of an aircraft” by acting in a “dangerous or reckless manner”.

The court heard Mr Ibbotson “did not have a commercial pilot’s licence or a licence that had expired in December 2018.”

The charge stated Henderson knew that: “Bad weather was forecast and Mr Ibbotson was not competent to fly in that weather.”

He is also accused of attempting to discharge a passenger.

Henderson, of the East Riding of Yorkshire, will face a two-week trial in front of a High Court Judge in the prosecution brought by the Civil Aviation Authority.

PA

Footage showed the wreckage of the plane on the bed of the English Channel[/caption]