Sand unveiled new details of the accident that killed Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson, on 21 January, when traveling from Nantes to Cardiff.
The authorities of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have released another report in which they say that the plane was full of carbon monoxide, as they have been able to check for the remains found in the body of the footballer.
“The toxicology tests found that the passenger had a high level of saturation of COHb (the combined product of carbon monoxide and hemoglobin). It is considered likely that the pilot was also exposed to carbon monoxide,” they said.
The investigation is trying to reconstruct what happened from the moment in which contact with the aircraft was lost until it plunged into the sea.
“This special bulletin contains medical information relevant to the accident. It also explains the plane’s permits and the relevant pilot license requirements for an aircraft registered in the United States performing a cross-border flight within Europe with a passenger on board,” they added from AAIB.
With this new known data, there is now the possibility that both Sala and the pilot would have been unconscious due to the amount of COHb present in the blood of the Argentine player’s body.
That could have caused seizures and possibly a heart attack. “Exposure to monoxide can cause damage to the brain, heart and nervous system.”
The AAIB plans to publish a final report when it finishes an investigation that is already under way 205 days.
Source: Marca
