The death of football player Emiliano Sala and the pilot of the plane that was taking him to his new club in Cardiff on 21 January 2019 reminds us that the third dimension is not without risk, which also knows his tragedies. And which always raises questions. While it will be up to the investigators to clarify the technical and operational issues of this accident, a more general question that anyone can legitimately ask today is why such a talented player with a high value on the transfer market could have been embarked on a single-engine piston aircraft, for a private flight by sight, at night, in difficult weather conditions and over an icy ocean?
In this article, Philippe Renz, a Swiss lawyer specializing in aviation law, outlines the bases of air transport and the rules that apply to it, and notes some precautionary measures that passengers and clubs could take to minimise their risks.
The circumstances of the accident of Emiliano Sala are not exempt from questioning, abundantly relayed by the press these last weeks: was the crash due to a technical problem or to a human factor? Could frost have played a role? Was it really a private flight, or an illegal commercial flight? Was the pilot sufficiently qualified? If the investigators are in charge of clarifying these technical and operational uncertainties, a more general question that may be legitimately asked is why such a talented player, with a high value on the transfer market, could have been embarked on a single-engine piston aircraft, for a private flight by sight, at night, in difficult weather conditions and over an icy ocean? While traveling to the end of the world aboard an airliner is statistically much safer than going to buy bread at the corner of the street by car, any passenger whatsoever should take some precautions before embarking on a non-commercial (private) flight with a pilot...
Why not join us?
Football Legal is an independent media publishing football law contents on a daily basis dedicated to all football law practitioners (lawyers, clubs, federations, intermediaries, football stakeholders, etc.).
Register today and stay tuned to the latest legal news.
Get started