"Ideal conditions" but still no sign of missing pilot

Thursday 28 February 2019

The privately funded hunt for missing pilot David Ibbotson hasn't been able to find him despite searching yesterday in what were described as "perfect conditions."

Yesterday's efforts used UK-based boats, helicopters and divers, working with 'shipwreck hunter' David Mearns. He had helped co-ordinate the previous search which found the stricken plane Mr Ibbotson had been flying when it crashed into the Channel, carrying his fatally injured passenger, footballer Emiliano Sala.

The fleet took to the Channel yesterday morning, with what Mr Mearns described as "ideal" conditions including "perfect" visibility, clear water and little wind. He called it a "very rare 'perfect' day in winter", but it failed to yield the results the Ibbotson family were hoping for.

Returning to Guernsey having completed this morning a thorough search of the Piper Malibu wreckage, 2 highly experienced technical divers spent 20 mins searching & filming the plane, sadly there was absolutely no sign of the pilot David Ibbotson.

— David Mearns (@davidlmearns) February 27, 2019

The Piper Malibu disappeared while over the Channel as it flew between Nantes in France and Cardiff in Wales. The fatal journey back to Cardiff had been booked as Mr Sala had wanted to spend time in France saying goodbye to friends at his former football club, Nantes FC, after signing a record breaking contract for his new club, Cardiff FC. Mr Sala had also wanted to arrange for his dog to go into kennels before joining him in Wales.

The plane went off radar as it flew past Les Casquets lighthouse, near Alderney. What happened on board the tragic flight is now subject to an Air Accident Investigation Branch enquiry. An interim report into what caused the plane to crash into the sea was released earlier this week. 

While the interim report raised more questions than it answered, the one question the Ibbotson family still wait to have answered, is the location of their missing husband and father.

Pictured: Mr Ibbotson's plane lies in three pieces on the seabed. 

His daughter, Danielle, opened a gofundme account to raise money to reopen the search for Mr Ibbotson, after the official search by the AAIB was called off. She recruited the help of expert 'shipwreck hunter' Mr Mearns, who had helped find the damaged fuselage of the light aircraft. He had initially been employed by the Sala family in the immediate aftermath of the accident but when that search failed to find Mr Ibbotson, the pilot's family asked for his help again.

Yesterday, Mr Mearns was back in Guernsey, accompanied by divers from UK vessel, Skin Deep. 

The 5.5 hr aerial (helicopter) search for David's Ibbotson's body spent 3.25 hrs searching the areas depicted in the flight track below, including several overflights. Both searches were conducted today because the weather conditions were ideal (good viz, neap tides, calm seas). pic.twitter.com/SVLmfNDXId

— David Mearns (@davidlmearns) February 27, 2019

The divers and helicopter crews failed to find any sign of Mr Ibbotson despite searching the area around the stricken plane again. They are believed to have looked inside the damaged fuselage which is still lying on the sea bed, but his body wasn't there.

They also checked the coastlines of the Channel Islands and France, but Mr Mearns said "sadly that search for David Ibbotson's body was also negative."

Much appreciation to Ian Taylor, Grahame Knott, Al Wright & Dave of Skin Deep Diving, and Declan & his team from Castle Air. We chose today because the conditions were ideal in the air (viz perfect, water clear, little wind) and at sea. A very rare 'perfect' day in winter.

— David Mearns (@davidlmearns) February 27, 2019