Missing plane search: Cushions wash up in France

Wednesday 30 January 2019

Two plane seat cushions have washed up on the French coast - believed to be from the missing plane which disappeared while flying above the Channel last week.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch tweeted today that the items are likely to be from the missing plane carrying pilot Dave Ibbotson and footballer Emiliano Sala.

Missing light aircraft N264DB: investigation update, underwater seabed search planned from this weekend https://t.co/nlUR7G0fyZ pic.twitter.com/FJZcj0iPJV

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) January 30, 2019

The seat cushions are reported to have washed up on the Contentin Peninsula. 

The Air Accident Investigation Branch, which is leading enquiries into the disappearance of the plane, said it has been working closely with international authorities including the Bureau d’Enquêtes & d’Analyses (BEA) in France, which reported first one cushion and then a second had washed up on a beach in Surainville. 

Pictured: The type of plane the pair had been flying in: a Piper Malibu.

In a statement the AAIB said preliminary investigations suggest the cushions are from the Piper Malibu aircraft in which the two men were flying from Nantes to Cardiff.

With the last known position from where the plane lost radar contact and the planned flight path the plane was due to take, the search is now believed to be limited to an area of approximately four square nautical miles. 

Pictured: The first cushion was found on a beach near Surtainville on the Cotentin Peninsula.

The private search which was intended to begin on Sunday, funded by a high profile GoFundMe campaign, will continue alongside the AAIB investigation the statement said.

Wreck expert David Mearns, who is believed to still be in the island, had been recruited by the Sala family to try and find the plane.

The privately funded search for the plane carrying Emiliano will be conducted, on behalf of the Sala family, in close coordination with the AAIB search effort. The two vessels will work together to search the designated area as safely, completely and efficiently as possible.

— David Mearns (@davidlmearns) January 30, 2019

The AAIB confirmed that they would be "liaising closely" with the private search "to maximise the chance of locating any wreckage and ensure a safe search operation".

French media reports say that one of the cushions was found by Surtainville local Josette Bernard during one of her regular beach walks.

Ces deux coussins appartenant probablement au Piper Malibu piloté par David Ibbotson, et transportant l'ex-footballeur du @FCNantes Emilinao Sala ont été retrouvés ce mercredi sur la plage de Surtainville, dans la Manche... (photo DR Josette Bernard) pic.twitter.com/1bUP4MC6Yy

— Arnaud Wajdzik (@awajdzik) January 30, 2019

She told Actu.fr: “It was a backrest and I could see it was a backrest from the missing plane. I called the police, who then put me in touch with the coastguards in Cherbourg. They came to collect the backrest.”

The other was found by dogwalker Camille Leblond, who said: “I was walking my dogs on the beach. At first I thought, 'It must have come from a boat.'

"It was 17:30 and it was close to the Bel Sito camping site, it’s the main access to the beach in Baubigny."

TÉMOIGNAGES. Elles ont retrouvé des débris de l'avion d'Emiliano #Sala sur une plage de la #Manche https://t.co/dOczCPImth via @actufr

— La PressedelaManche (@LaPresseManche) January 30, 2019

She continued: “I thought that if it was my brother on the plane, I would like whoever finds clues to say something. When I got home, an hour later, I called the police in Barneville-Carteret. They told me they would come to collect the piece of debris. My parents told me later they had passed them.

“It’s just presumed debris. Maybe it’s the backrest from a boat seat. Anywyay, that’s all I saw. It was really windy on Sunday.”

Follow Express for updates...

Lead photo: One of the cushions found on a beach by Josette Bernard, which are believed to be part of the plane carrying footballer Emiliano Sala and pilot Dave Ibbotson.