Emiliano Sala’s family has criticised air accident investigators for not recovering the wreckage of the plane which crashed in the English Channel, killing the footballer and a pilot.

His relatives said the decision was a “mistake” as the Piper Malibu wreck has now washed away and only a number of small parts are possibly still at the site where the aircraft came down.

The family fears the full recovery of key debris from the wreckage may now be impossible following January’s tragedy.

The discovery came during another sonar survey of the crash site on 22 October.

It was organised by the family after the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) decided it was not necessary to revisit the scene or recover the wreck.

Family lawyer Matthew Reeve said: “The family disagree with the decision not to salvage the wreckage.

“The aircraft wreckage is no longer present near to the location and some debris likely to be remains of the aircraft may not remain in place very long.”

Another lawyer Daniel Machover said: “Emiliano’s family believe that the AAIB’s decision not to recover the wreck of the Piper Malibu was a mistake.

“Recovery could have happened in February, when Emiliano’s body was recovered, but it is too late now.”

Argentinian Sala, 28, was on his way to the UK after signing for Cardiff City from French club Nantes when the private plane crashed north of Guernsey on 21 January.

His body was recovered in February but the body of the pilot, 59-year-old David Ibbotson, has not been found.

The pair were exposed to harmful levels of carbon monoxide inside the cockpit before the crash, air accident investigators said in August.

At a pre-inquest review in Bournemouth on Wednesday, the coroner Rachael Griffin asked the AAIB why the aircraft was not being recovered considering toxicology results from a post-mortem showed Mr Sala had carbon monoxide in his bloodstream.

Geraint Herbert, senior inspector for the AAIB, said it felt it had identified safety issues without the need to further examine the plane.

He said the safety of divers and the practicality of recovering the wreck had to be taken into consideration.

He added it would not be possible to determine whether damage seen on the stricken plane would have occurred prior to the crash, during the impact or while under the water.

At the request of Mr Sala’s family, the coroner called on the police to preserve any blood samples to ensure there can be further independent testing if needed.

And she said she would write to the pathologist, Dr Basil Purdue, to ask what led to further testing earlier this year for carbon monoxide.

Police have said inquiries continue following the arrest earlier this year of a 64-year-old man from North Yorkshire on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act.

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