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What concerns me most about this story is news reports say there were 3 people on the tarmac before the plane took off from Nantes. I find it hard to believe that anyone was happy to allow our record signing to fly with just one pilot. Especially at that time of night in the middle of winter. By all accounts the other person on the tarmac was Dave Henderson, a far more experienced pilot with these sort of flights. Was he meant to be the main pilot? Surely nobody would have arranged our star striker to be flown across the channel with just one pilot? Why was Dave Henderson on the tarmac in Nantes?
Most of you know I'm quick to offer comments on here. I think I've spent more time reading things on this board and looking for updates than I have for years, but too numb to comment.
I got emotional before the Leicester game and never wanted to go through that sort of atmosphere at a football match. Here we are, in such a short space of time with history repeating itself. I agonised over how to tell my 5 year old boy, who had exalted Sala as our saviour. His reply was that "we've got enough strikers anyway", totally failing to comprehend what had happened.
I cannot begin to comprehend what his family have been going through, what his friends have been feeling. It's been gut-wrenching as someone who has never seen him play, but had so briefly been a part of the Bluebird family. Nothing will ever change the events that will happen, but I will be there with my son at the Bournemouth game, bawling my eyes out probably, for the most emotional and regrettable moments we'll ever endure as football fans.
I recall walking along Sloper road near where the away coaches enter the ground before that Leicester game and seeing a grown man with a Leicester scarf crying. I wanted to give him a hug, but stopped just short. I don't know why. We'll all need a hug a week Saturday.
The thing is, from what I've read this week, players make these kind of journeys and flights all the time. And you do hear about so-and-so is late back from international duty and so on from time to time.
There have no doubt been other seat of the pants incidents and 99% end safely but this is the terrible exception. I'm not making excuses for anyone involved but I can't imagine this is the first time similar arrangements have been made.
French media reported several eye witness reports of 3 men on the tarmac. I've since seen another poster saying Dave Henderson was not there. I've not seen those reports but even if that were true I find it hard to believe anyone was happy allowing one pilot to ferry our record signing across the channel at that time of night. Particularly a pilot who was a gas fitter and part time DJ.
I've not seen anything that denies there were 3 people on the tarmac that night. In my eyes that makes sense. Sala and 2 pilots. My question would be who was this third guy and why was he there because unfortunately Mr Ibbotson appeared to lack the experience to carry out such a flight on his own.
I'm a very pragmatic person and I know that there is essentially zero chance of either man being found alive, but for some strange reason I keep expecting the news to say that they've both been found and are well.
On the Aviation Safety Network website (sorry don't know how to post link) it gives full details of all accidents with Piper Malibu aircraft since 1984. There have been225 incidents, with varying causes, since then . A large number resulted in fatalities
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ed-flight.html
Article on alleged pilot.
At 6.30 on Tues morning I was driving to work when the Radio Wales news said plane gone missing from Nantes to Cardiff. Nothing else at that stage. Immediately I sort of knew. I posted that morning, on this thread, and haven't since, although I have read every comment. Haven't been much cop this week, thinking about very little else. I am a 50 year old cynical realist and yet when I read this post just now I realised it was exactly how I feel. To be honest still can't quite believe it all.
Those quotes from his 'friends'.
"I always thought he was a better plumber than he was a pilot. We never really considered him a pilot, he was just the man at the controls when parachutists went up."
Imagine being the sort of person who'd say things like that to a national newspaper so soon after the probable death of someone you knew when the facts are nowhere near available.
I just want to say that there was unanimous support for you on Molineux Mix over this tragic issue. Despite our rivalries in the past, football pales into insignificance by comparison and this sentiment was shared by all of us.
There is very little else which I can add but I thought that it was important to register our moral support.
RIP Emiliano Sala
https://www.molineuxmix.co.uk/index....o-sala.209191/
nice 1