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Two 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 said 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 French coast at 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 area marked in red on the French coast is where the two seat cushions have washed up.
In a statement the AAIB said preliminary investigations suggest the cushions are from the Piper Malibu aircraft the two men were flying from Nantes to Cardiff in.
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.
Above: The statement issued today by the AAIB.
The private search which was intended to begin on Sunday, funded by a high profile Go Fund Me 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. He has now tweeted saying that his team will be working with the AAIB on the next stage of the enquiries:
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
More to follow...
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