Emiliano Sala: Search for Cardiff City striker and pilot abandoned
The search was called off after a fourth unsuccessful day since the aircraft disappeared off radars on Monday night north of Guernsey - updates from Thursday
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Your support makes all the difference.Follow the latest updates as the search for Emiliano Sala, a pilot and a missing plane was called off on Thursday afternoon without any trace of the missing Cardiff City striker in the English Channel.
The search was called off after a fourth unsuccessful day since the aircraft disappeared off radars on Monday night north of Guernsey. After officials confirmed that the priority of the search changed from a rescue mission to a recovery operation, a statement from police said that Thursday search will focus on coastal areas of the Channel Islands and northern France, yet this turned up nothing linked to the missing aircraft.
Cardiff City have said that they are “realistic” about the fate of Sala, who joined the club in a £15m deal last weekend, and revelations about the aeroplane that was carrying Sala and pilot Dave Ibbotson continue to emerge, including a voice message left by Sala to his friends in Argentina in the final hours before he disappeared complaining about the condition of the plane and his fear for his safety. Follow the live updates below.
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BREAKINGGuernsey Police have issued another update to confirm that there is still "no trace of the aircraft" after searching more than 1,000sq mile of the Channel near the aircraft's last location.
FC Nantes' next Coupe de France match has been postponed following the disappearance of the plane carrying former striker Sala.
The club was due to play L'Entente SSG in a round of 32 game on Wednesday, but the match has now been moved to Sunday January 27.
Announcing the fixture change on its website, L'Entente SSG sent support to FC Nantes and Sala's family.
It said the club was thinking of everyone on the missing plane.
What type of plane is the Piper Malibu?
The plane that went missing over the English Channel is a type of aircraft built by US manufacturer Piper Aircraft.
The Piper PA-46 Malibu has a capacity for one pilot and five passengers, according to the Aerospace Technology website.
The specialist site describes the PA-46 as a "light sport aircraft" and says the maiden flight of the PA-46 prototype took place in November 1979, with the aircraft entering service in 1982.
The Piper PA-46 is powered by "a single Continental TSIO-520-BE turbocharged, fuel injected and horizontally opposed engine which produces 231kW of output power", the website says.
The aircraft is said to have four variants which include the PA-46-310P Malibu, PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage, PA-46-500TP Malibu Meridian and PA-46R-350T Matrix.
The PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage is an advanced version of the PA-46-310P Malibu, Aerospace Technology says.
The website says the aircraft can operate on short or unpaved runways, even in the worst weather conditions.
The Piper website says Piper Aircraft is the only general aviation manufacturer to offer a complete line of aircraft.
"From rugged, reliable trainers to a high-performance turboprop, from student pilot to experienced aviator - Piper creates the freedom of flight for everyone," the company says.
William T Piper established the Piper Aircraft Corporation in 1937.
"When Mr Piper introduced the Piper Cub in 1937, he had a dream. He felt that everyone should fly. And he believed that Piper could provide everyone with that freedom. 130,000 aircraft later, that dream lives on," the Piper website says.
Former England captain and BBC presenter Gary Lineker has posted a message hoping for good news in the search for the plane carring Sala:
Guernsey harbour master David Barker has confirmed that they did not receive a distress call yesterday evening, and has provided details of what the search and rescue team are looking out for:
It's far easier to see something on the surface in daylight.We are looking for any traces of an aircraft, a life raft, persons in the water, life jackets.
The map below shows where the aircraft took off in Nantes and the flight path it was due to take, with the second image pointing out the island of Alderney close to where the plane is believed to have come down.
The latest statement from search officials is that they are no longer considering the operation to be a rescue mission, with lifeboats and aircraft yet to find any trace of the missing plane whatsoever.
Speaking to the Associated Press, chief executive of the Channel Islands Air Search, John Fitzgerald said in his latest statement: "We are not expecting anyone to be alive. I don't think the coastguard are either. We just don't know how it disappeared."
Fitzgerald added that the plane "just completely vanished. There was no radio conversation."
It has also been confirmed that there was no mayday call from the plane during its final seconds on radar.
BREAKINGGuernsey Police have delivered another update on the search, with no trace of the plane in the Channel surrounding the island of Alderney.
Officials have also contacted all known airfields in the south of England and Wales to check whether the plane landed without notice, but have not had any confirmations.
Weather conditions in the Channel are starting to worsen again, but the search efforts will continue until sunset when a decision will be made on whether to continue into the night.
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