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French Ligue1

EMILIANO SALA’S PILOT ‘MADE A STRING OF BASIC ERRORS’ IN FLIGHT PLAN

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The part-time pilot who flew Emiliano Sala from France to Wales before crashing into the Channel made ‘basic errors’ before take-off, it was revealed today.  

David Ibbotson was also not allowed to take paying passengers because he only had a private licence – not a commercial one – and didn’t have the qualifications to fly in bad weather but took their plane into a winter storm, it has also emerged.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) will release its interim report into the accident at 2pm on Monday.

But ahead of that publication new documents from France have emerged about Mr Ibbotson’s qualifications and pre-flight preparations.

Images uploaded to social media by Fox Sports journalist Christian Martin appear to show that in his flight plan Mr Ibbotson, a boiler engineer by trade, made a number of ‘basic errors’.

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© Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited Mr Ibbotson, from Scunthorpe, gained his private pilot’s licence in the US but does not…

One image shows how Ibbotson apparently incorrectly filled in the plane’s licence number on the form, writing N246DB instead of N264DB.

The pilot also reportedly used Visual Flight Rules (VFR) instead of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).

This means his qualifications only allowed him to fly at night if conditions were clear without any bad weather.

But the plane flew into a storm over the Channel and it is feared the instruments froze before the aircraft crashed into the sea.  

Mr Martin claims the paperwok shows Mr Ibbotson accepted ‘the disregard of flying with instruments, key to flying between clouds without visibility. That night there were many clouds and a cold snap over the English Channel’.

Martin described the mistakes as ‘basic errors’.

In order for pilots to fly VFR, they cannot fly through clouds and in some types of airspace they have to be able to see the ground.

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Under VFR, pilots are responsible for seeing other aircraft and avoiding collisions and it requires a minimum standard of weather conditions to be present to be allowed, known as visual meteorological conditions (VMC).

When the operation of an aircraft under VFR is not safe, because the visual cues outside the aircraft are obscured by weather, instrument flight rules (IFR) must be used instead

Martin also appeared to confirm MailOnline’s exclusive that Mr Ibbotson was not authorised to take paying passengers because of his private pilot’s licence.

A private search is underway to find Ibbotson’s body with his family having raised over £240,000 to pay for it.   

Investigators removed Mr Sala’s body from the Piper Malibu N264DB a fortnight ago and ended their attempts to recover the aircraft wreckage because of poor weather.

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His body was brought to Portland, Dorset, by the Geo Ocean III boat, and taken on a stretcher to an ambulance, before being transferred to the coroner. 

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the families of both men had been kept informed of progress, and identification of the body was a matter for the police and coroner for Dorset. 

The aircraft remains 67 metres underwater 21 miles off the coast of Guernsey in the English Channel.

The remains of the plane were discovered two weeks ago. It had disappeared on January 21 as it travelled from Nantes in France to Cardiff.

The AAIB said previously that the work of the ROVs has been hampered by the difficult tidal conditions around the Channel Islands.

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The plane had requested to descend before it lost contact with Jersey air traffic control.

An official search operation was called off on January 24 after Guernsey’s harbour master David Barker said the chances of survival following such a long period were ‘extremely remote’

The remains of the aircraft were tracked down by a team co-ordinated by ocean scientist David Mearns, who has located some of the most elusive wrecks in the world.

Mr Mearns and his team located the aircraft within two hours of starting their search.

He told the Press Association the discovery had been so quick because the team had been looking for a static object rather than in a dynamic environment searching for survivors.

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‘No-one should walk away with the impression that the Coastguard and also the Channel Islands air search did anything other than a professional job,’ he said. 

Cardiff had signed Sala, a 28-year-old Argentinian striker, for a club record £15 million.

It has emerged that Nantes has demanded payment from Cardiff for the player’s transfer.

It is understood Cardiff received a letter from Nantes on Tuesday, in which the French Ligue 1 club threatened to take legal action if the first scheduled payment of the fee is not made within 10 days.

It is believed Cardiff have been left surprised by the demand, considering the circumstances and the timing, and would rather the investigation into the tragedy is completed first.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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French Ligue1

Argentina star Messi to play last game for PSG on Saturday

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Lionel Messi will play his last game for Paris St Germain against Clermont on Saturday, coach Christophe Galtier said on Thursday as he called on fans to give the Argentine forward a warm send-off at the Parc des Princes.

Messi, who has 21 goals and 20 assists for PSG in all competitions this season, moved to the French capital from Barcelona in 2021 on a two-year contract.

The 35-year-old, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar and also boasts a record seven Ballon d’Or awards, won the Ligue 1 title in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with PSG as well as the French Super Cup in July 2022.

“I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of football. This will be his last match at the Parc des Princes, and I hope that he will receive the warmest of welcomes,” Galtier told reporters on Thursday.

Last month, French media reported that Messi was suspended for two weeks after an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia when he was supposed to train with his team following their 3-1 defeat at home to Lorient in the league.

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“This year, he has been an important part of the team, always available. I don’t think any of the comments or criticisms are justified,” Galtier said.

“He’s always been there for the team. It’s been a great privilege to accompany him throughout the season.”

Messi’s future at PSG had been the subject of much speculation recently, with a source close to the Argentina captain telling Reuters that he had received a formal offer to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal next season.

He has also been linked in the media with a move back to boyhood club Barcelona, with the United States’ Major League Soccer club Inter Miami also being touted as a possible destination.

PSG’S TITLE CELEBRATIONS ON HOLD

Messi’s last game for PSG is unlikely to be a joyous affair, with Galtier saying that their title celebrations would be put on ice with the distraught squad’s thoughts occupied with concern for goalkeeper Sergio Rico.

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Rico was involved in a riding accident while participating in an annual pilgrimage in southern Spain, the day after PSG wrapped up the title with one game to spare after a 1-1 draw at Racing Strasbourg.

Rico has been in intensive care after suffering “a serious mishap due to a mule cart and a horse that hit him”, his family said in a statement late on Sunday. Spanish paper Marca reported that Rico had been riding a horse himself.

“There will be no celebrations, it’s been a very difficult week. We’re all affected because we went from winning the French title on Saturday to waking up in more than a little pain on Sunday morning,” Galtier told reporters ahead of PSG’s final league game of the season.

“We’re all affected, and we’re trying as best we can to take our minds off things through the training sessions… We’re very united in sending out lots of positive vibes and energy to Sergio, his mum, his wife and his loved ones.”

-Reuters

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CELEBRITY

Messi walks out on PSG fans after defeat

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Messi walks out on PSG fans after defeat




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Paris St Germain were lucky enough to enjoy the continued support of their fans during their 2-0 home defeat against Stade Rennais on Sunday – their first at home in Ligue 1 this season, but only a few players went to the Auteuil kop to greet them after a dismal display.

Kylian Mbappe was one of them after the France forward was denied twice by Rennes keeper Steve Mandanda, but Lionel Messi, who looked nothing like the player who inspired Argentina to the World Cup title last December, walked straight to the dressing room, as did the disappointing Marco Verratti.

PSG lead the standings on 66 points from 28 games with a seven-point advantage over Olympique de Marseille, who ended Stade de Reims’s 19-game unbeaten streak in the league with a 2-1 away win courtesy of an Alexis Sanchez double.

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Neymar to leave hospital on Sunday after operation

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Neymar to leave hospital on Sunday after operation




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Brazilian football star Neymar is seen after surgery with (from left) Brazilian national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmarchief, Aspetar’s chief medical officer Pieter D’Hooghe, and British surgeon James Calder. PHOTO: AFP

Brazil star Neymar will leave a Qatar sports hospital on Sunday to rest before starting rehabilitation after an operation on his ankle, officials said.

Doctors at the Aspetar hospital would not give a date when the 31-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker would return to action but they are confident that Friday’s surgery was a success.

PSG said before the operation the forward could be out for up to four months, ruling him out of the rest of this season.

“Neymar Junior was operated yesterday, it was very successful,” Mr Hakim Chalabi, assistant director-general at the Aspetar hospital and an adviser to PSG’s medical team, told AFP.

“Right now, he is very good and he is happy.

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“He is not so painful and the surgeons who operated are very happy.”

Neymar will leave the 50-bed specialist sports hospital on Sunday, officials said.

Mr Chalabi said that after a period of rest, PSG will start physiotherapy.

“Later on, we will evaluate a time for a return on the field. Right now it is a bit soon to talk about.

“He is going to be on crutches for a few days but then after he should be back to half weight lifting.”

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Neymar was stretchered off with his latest injury in a Ligue 1 game against Lille last month. He injured the same ankle in 2018.

Mr Chalabi said that after the operation, Neymar “should be back at a normal level but with less risk of injury.”

Fitness has been a regular concern since PSG signed Neymar for a world-record €222 million in 2017.

He has played only 112 of PSG’s 228 Ligue 1 matches since his arrival.

AFP

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