In this his picture taken on Jan. 14, 2018, Argentine soccer player, Emiliano Sala, of the FC Nantes club, western France, gives a thumbs up during a soccer match against PSG in Nantes, France. (AP)
The plane carrying Argentinian soccer star Emiliano Sala could have been brought down by a build-up of deadly ice on the wings, aviation experts claim.
On Monday night, the single-engine Piper PA-46 plane vanished over Guernsey in the Channel Islands.
One aviation expert said: "There are reports that the footballer was texting saying the aircraft is shaking and breaking up are classic signs of icing on the wings".
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“The pilot is most likely wrestling with a stall at 2,300ft.
“It is likely, though, that the aircraft hit the water in one piece otherwise debris would have quickly been found.”
SOCCER STAR EMILIANO SALA ABOARD MISSING PLANE THAT VANISHED OFF ENGLISH CHANNEL, OFFICIALS SAY
The claim comes as the British pilot of a plane carrying the new Cardiff signing admitted he was “a bit rusty” at the controls before it vanished.
David Ibbotson, 60, told friends his fears after arriving in France on Saturday and even joked about the state of his landing.
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Sala, 28, is thought to have flown back to Nantes to say goodbye to his ex-teammates after signing for Premier League side Cardiff in a club record $19 million deal.
This story originally appeared in The Sun. For more from The Sun, click here.