' A THOUGHT FOR DAVE IBBOTSON AND HIS FAMILY '

Wife of Emiliano Sala’s pilot ‘distraught’ as plane wreckage body identified as footballer
By Joshua Nevett


Friday 8th February 2019


The family of the pilot presumed dead after a plane crash with footballer Emiliano Sala are “distraught with grief” as his body remains unaccounted for.


Investigators last night identified the body that was pulled from the plane wreckage at the bottom of the English Channel as that of the 28-year-old Argentine footballer.

Tributes from across the world have poured in for the Cardiff City striker and his pilot, David Ibbotson, whose plane crashed en route to Cardiff from Nantes, France, at around 7pm on January 21.

Ibbotson’s family, meanwhile, face the agony of not knowing the whereabouts of his body after investigators called off the search and recovery operation on Wednesday.

His wife Nora was last night said to be waiting in suspense for an update on the identity of the recovered body at her home in Crowle, near Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire.

A local businesswoman who lives in the small village said Nora was “distraught with grief” last night as she was “waiting in agony” for the coroner’s verdict.

An anguished family member told the Mail Online: “What's happened is awful and all we want is for David's body to be found so we can lay him to rest properly, as he deserves, and pay our respects.

“Not knowing where he is and if his body has been found or maybe never will be is the worst thing ever.”

“She is distraught with grief not knowing, the waiting is agony for her and her family and our hearts go out to them.”


Father-of-three Ibbotson, 59, was flying the The Piper Malibu 63 when the light aircraft lost contact with air traffic control over the Channel, north of Guernsey.

The aircraft remains 67 metres underwater 21 miles off the coast of Guernsey in the English Channel as poor weather conditions stopped efforts to recover it.

A makeshift memorial to the gas fitter has appeared in his home village, where floral tributes has been left in the market square.

In one tribute, daughter Vicki said: “Daddio, Words cannot describe how much I am going to miss you. You are the best dad anybody could wish for and I will love you always.”


The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) said poor weather conditions informed its decision to bring the operation to a close for the time-being.

The AAIB has not given any indication when, or even if, the operation to find Ibbotson's body and recover the wreckage from the Channel will resume.

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My heart goes out to the families of both men involved in this tragedy and personally, I find it difficult to believe that having located one of them (Emiliano Sala) that they wouldn't go look to locate/recover the other (Dave Ibbotson) when conditions are right

That would just be so cruel

My heart goes out to the families of both men involved in this tragedy and personally, I find it difficult to believe that having located one of them (Emiliano Sala) that they wouldn't go look to locate/recover the other (Dave Ibbotson) when conditions are right

That would just be so cruel

Sven I agree with your comments 150%.

This recovery operation cannot and should not end here. The wreckage must either be raised and checked or at least, in conjunction with the immediate vicinity of the wreckage site, be thoroughly searched for the body of Dave Ibbotson. His family deserve no less.

My heart goes out to the families of both men involved in this tragedy and personally, I find it difficult to believe that having located one of them (Emiliano Sala) that they wouldn't go look to locate/recover the other (Dave Ibbotson) when conditions are right

That would just be so cruel

It was confirmed on SSN this morning that the search for David Ibbotson would resume later today once the weather in the channel settles.

Really do hope he is found so his family can have closure too

there is a storm currently hitting the UK so I guess thats why it's not been resumed for the moment.

If nothing else I think the club will want to have the plane recovered and then investigated so as to determine what happened.
What usually happens in these sort of accidents - would the AAIB just leave it there with possible bodies on board or would they try and recover it ?

All of us at Cardiff City are praying that they find Dave Ibbotson soon and are thinking of his family at this very sad time.

Its very sad but I always felt the mission was to recover the plane and hope that they would be able to find the body. I just cant see how they can locate a body now in those waters.

RIP both

Its very sad but I always felt the mission was to recover the plane and hope that they would be able to find the body. I just cant see how they can locate a body now in those waters.

RIP both

Luke, how do you think the pilots family think, they would like closure as well, have you not forgotten?

Its very sad but I always felt the mission was to recover the plane and hope that they would be able to find the body. I just cant see how they can locate a body now in those waters.

RIP both

Luke, how do you think the pilots family think, they would like closure as well, have you not forgotten?

If the body is not in the plane, it may never be found which is a nightmare scenario for his family

Let’s just hope that they do find it. My heart goes out to his family and friends

Its very sad but I always felt the mission was to recover the plane and hope that they would be able to find the body. I just cant see how they can locate a body now in those waters.

RIP both

Luke, how do you think the pilots family think, they would like closure as well, have you not forgotten?

If the body is not in the plane, it may never be found which is a nightmare scenario for his family

Let’s just hope that they do find it. My heart goes out to his family and friends

They will prob never want to give up searching as well and need disclosure, how this can now happen I sadly don't know?

Awfull situation and thoughts are with the family.

Unfortunately if not in plane the sea doesn't always give up it's dead! But really hope they find him for peace of mind to the family.

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Its very sad but I always felt the mission was to recover the plane and hope that they would be able to find the body. I just cant see how they can locate a body now in those waters.

RIP both

Luke, how do you think the pilots family think, they would like closure as well, have you not forgotten?

Of course but that's not the point I'm making, I thought that was clear

Irrespective of whose body or if any body was found in the plane I think the mission was to find the plane and hope they could retrieve them both.

If the plane had no bodies I doubt the search would continue either. Needle in a haystack springs to mind. It's very sad.

Manu planes and many bodies have gone missing never to be found.

The family need to speak David, and need to contact David Mearns ASAP. I have got faith in him.