Emiliano Sala flight organiser 'distressed' after crash

David Henderson was the aircraft's operator since its purchase in 2015

The man accused of organising the flight carrying footballer Emiliano Sala was "distressed" once he knew it had crashed, a court has heard.

David Henderson, 67, of Main Street, Hotham, East Riding of Yorkshire, said he had been monitoring the plane's trip between Nantes and Cardiff.

Sala and pilot David Ibbotson died in the crash in January 2019.

Mr Henderson denies endangering the safety of an aircraft and has begun giving evidence in his defence.

He told Cardiff Crown Court he "was getting concerned" when trying to monitor the aeroplane on the radar.

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"I think I rang Cardiff to see what time it was expected, they didn't know," he said.

"Time was ticking on. I rang Exeter and then Guernsey and that's when they told me they had lost contact.

"I was very concerned and distressed. I feared the worst."

The single-engine Piper Malibu aircraft was carrying the 28-year-old striker and Mr Ibbotson when it went down 22 nautical miles north-west of Guernsey on the evening of 21 January 2019.

Asked how he felt at the time, Mr Henderson said: "The whole scenario - to lose an aeroplane and a person I know and a passenger - I was very badly affected by the news."

He added he had been suffering from "anxiety" since, and "barely an hour goes by without it being in my mind".

Sala's body was recovered, but Mr Ibbotson, 59, from Crowley, Lincolnshire, has never been found

Fay Keely, who owned the plane, told the court on she had informed Mr Henderson that Mr Ibbotson should not fly the aircraft again after she was notified by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of two infringements that had happened while he was in the air.

Ms Keely said: "As far as I was concerned, I had made my feelings clear that he shouldn't be flying the aircraft."

However, Mr Henderson said he phoned Ms Keely after receiving the order from her by email to explain the situation, and that he had changed her mind about Mr Ibbotson.

He told the court: "I said he's [Mr Ibbotson] mortified by it and admitted his mistake and that it won't happen again."

He added: "I believe I'd brought her around about David Ibbotson."

Stephen Spence, defending, asked Mr Henderson: "If you thought there was a problem, would you have used him to fly her sister a month later?"

He replied: "No."

The court heard how Henderson had got his private pilot's licence in 1983 after serving in the RAF for two years, later getting a commercial licence to fly in the UK and America.

He said he used this to co-pilot and travelled "literally all over the world".

The Piper Malibu N264DB disappeared from radar near the Channel Islands on 21 January

Earlier, as the prosecution drew its case to a close, the court heard more about Mr Henderson's version of how the flight came about by means of a letter sent to the CAA in April 2020.

The letter was read to the jury by Stephen Hunt, from the CAA.

In the document, Mr Henderson said he had received a phone call from football agent Willie McKay asking for an aircraft between 18 and 21 January, 2019.

Mr Henderson was in France at the time but said Mr McKay was "very persistent, so I offered to see if there were any other pilots who were available".

He said he sent Mr Ibbotson a text message saying: "Do you fancy a weekend in Nantes?" Mr Ibbotson replied: "Yes."

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Mr Henderson said there was no discussion about payment at the time, and he had "previously made it clear to Mr McKay that the flights were private".

The letter also outlined his relationship with Ms Keely, the owner of the plane.

He said: "I was never paid a fee by Miss Keely - she offered me the use of the aircraft on a fuel-only basis.

"She was happy for me to allow hire of the aircraft to suitable parties."

Pilot Mr Ibbotson raised concerns to Mr Henderson about the Piper Malibu aircraft, the court heard

The letter also said Mr Ibbotson had called Mr Henderson when he arrived in Nantes, and highlighted "a soft pedal issue and an oil leak", adding: "He thought he had heard a bang on the descent into Nantes."

Mr Ibbotson said he "was obviously concerned about the issue", but the court heard he had spoken to engineer David Smith who "was satisfied the aircraft remained air worthy".

Responding to a question asking whether he accepted being the organiser of the flight, Mr Henderson said: "While I accept that I looked after the aircraft, at the relevant time the person who had control of the aircraft was Mr Ibbotson."

He added: "At no time was there any reason for me to believe Mr Ibbotson was not qualified to fly the aircraft."

The court has previously heard Mr Ibbotson did not hold a commercial pilot's licence, was not allowed to fly at night and that his rating to fly the Piper Malibu had expired.

The trial continues.