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The wreckage of the plane that had disappeared with Premier League footballer Emiliano Sala on board was found hours after a search that had started in the sea off the Channel Islands.
A research vessel hired privately by the Argentinian family of Sala – thanks in part to a crowdfunding call – located the wreck Sunday morning.
The crew communicated the location details to government investigators, who used a remotely operated submarine vehicle to examine the location.
There was no immediate official confirmation of what was discovered, but the shipbreaking specialist in charge of the private investigation, David Mearns, said the plane had been discovered.
He pointed out that this information had been located by the private FPV Morven, which had transmitted the information to the British Air Accidents Branch (AAIB). Mearns said the AAIB had moved his vessel, the Geo Ocean III, on site and had visually identified the wreckage with an ROV.
He said the family of Cardiff City's attacker, Sala, and the pilot, David Ibbotson, had been informed and that the AAIB would make a statement on Monday. It is believed that the AAIB will recover the ship.
No information on the possible presence of bodies in the aircraft has been given. Two plane covers were washed last week on the French coast.
Mearns tweeted: "The wreckage of the plane carrying Emiliano Sala and piloted by David Ibbotson was found early this morning by FPV MORVEN. As agreed with the AAIB, they moved the GEO OCEAN III to the position we provided them to visually identify the aircraft by ROV. "
In a second tweet, he said: "The families of Emiliano Sala and David Ibbotson have been notified by the police. The AAIB will make a statement tomorrow. Tonight our thoughts are with Emiliano's and David's families and friends. "
The Piper Malibu PA-46 carrying Sala and Ibbotson, 59, of Lincolnshire, 59, disappeared over the English Channel on 21 January, after leaving Nantes in France around 19:15 for Cardiff.
Earlier Sunday, Mearns, who claims to have located 24 major wrecks during his career, announced that he would be leading a team of seven other people aboard the FPV Morven ship.
He clarified that the research was conducted "in close coordination" with the AAIB. The plan was to cover an area of about four square nautical miles over three days.
Mearns and his team were convinced that the plane would be found. North of Guernsey, the seabed area being excavated was not very deep – about 65 meters – and was stony and bare because it had been dredged by scallop fishermen. Mearns said the currents were strong and that there were other wrecks out there, which made the task more delicate.
During the journey, the plane had asked to get off, but he had subsequently lost contact with Jersey air traffic control.
An official search operation was canceled on 24 January after Guernsey captain David Barker said the chances of survival after such a long time were "extremely remote".
The end of the search provoked an uproar. Supporters of the family – and footballers, including his compatriot Lionel Messi – have called for the resumption of research.
The Argentine Embbady in London has also tried to pressure the British government to do more.
On Wednesday, the AAIB confirmed having instructed a rescue team and maritime operations of the Ministry of Defense to attempt to locate the aircraft. He insisted that as soon as he was informed of the crash, he would have considered the possibility of a search in the seabed.
The beginning of the research was delayed by bad weather. But the fact that the plane was found so quickly will raise questions as to whether it could have been launched in the early days.
The AAIB and Sala's private researchers said they would work together.
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