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Footballer Emiliano Sala was killed when the pilot of his private plane lost control and the aircraft broke up while travelling too fast, a report into the fatal crash has ruled.

The Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) on Friday published the findings of a 14-month inquiry into the crash, which killed Sala and pilot David Ibbotson.

The Argentinian striker, 28, was flying from Nantes in France to Britain after signing for Cardiff City, when the Piper Malibu aircraft plunged into the Channel on January 21 last year.

AAIB's report found the crash was caused when the aircraft broke up while being flown too fast for its design limits.

It added that Mr Ibbotson was not licensed to fly the aircraft and had "no training in night flying", and that he was probably "deeply unconscious" from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Alison Campbell, senior inspector for operations, said it was a dark night with “little or no” visible horizon. “There was poor weather in the area and from his radio calls, it was clear the pilot needed to manoeuvre to avoid it,” she explained.

Following a descent of thousands of feet in a matter of seconds, the pilot attempted an “abrupt nose-up” manoeuvre, before the rear tail and parts of the wings splintered off and it crashed into the sea upside down at approximately 270mph.

Crispin Orr, chief inspector of air accidents at the AAIB said lives are being put “at risk” by current regulatory loopholes on flying licences and health and safety.

“This was a tragic accident with fatal consequences. As we publish our final report today, our thoughts are with the families of Mr Sala and Mr Ibbotson,” he said.

“Routine maintenance is vital but cannot eliminate the risk of carbon monoxide leaks completely. Equipping aircraft with devices that provide warning of the presence of this odourless, colourless and lethal gas, would enable pilots to take potentially lifesaving action. We are therefore calling for the regulators to make it mandatory for piston engine aircraft, such as the one involved in this accident, to carry an active CO warning device."​

He added: "The chartering of aircraft that are not licensed for commercial transport – so called ‘grey charters’ – is putting lives at risk. We welcome the Civil Aviation Authority’s efforts to stop this practice through their ‘Legal to Fly’ campaign and other interventions."

The inquiry concluded that "neither the plane nor the pilot had the required licences or permissions to operate commercially".

An interim report by the official body published in August found that Mr Ibbotson was not licensed to conduct commercial flights.

It also said potentially lethal levels of carbon monoxide had been detected in Sala's blood in toxicology tests, which could have caused a heart attack or unconsciousness.

Relatives of Sala and Mr Ibbotson have called for the wreckage to be salvaged to provide answers, after attempts to lift it from the seabed failed amid poor weather. Sala's body was recovered, but Mr Ibbotson has still not been found.

The football star’s family crowdfunded £260,000 for a private search of the Channel after authorities abandoned efforts after a 24-hour scour of the sea proved fruitless.

Dorset Police, the Civil Aviation Authority and the coroner are also probing the crash.

It was announced on Wednesday that no further action will be taken against 64-year-old ex-football agent Willie McKay, from North Yorkshire, who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to the crash. He said he paid for the fatal flight but did not choose the pilot or the plane.

Cardiff City remains locked in a legal dispute with Nantes over payment of the footballer’s £15 million transfer fee.

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The Welsh club argue they were not liable for the full amount because Sala was not officially their player when he died.

In January, Cardiff City handed a file to French prosecutors urging them to launch an official investigation into Sala’s death.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland is set to rule this summer on whether the Bluebirds should pay Nantes £5.3m, the first tranche of Sala's transfer fee, in line with a Fifa order.

In response to today's report, Cardiff said they welcomed the publication of the report, calling it “an important step in understanding the full facts surrounding this tragedy”.

They added that they hope the questions raised in the report will be addressed during the inquest, which is due to recommence on Monday.

Two people were jailed in September last year for illegally accessing mortuary security camera images of Sala’s body.

CCTV company director Sherry Bray, 49, and her employee Christopher Ashford, 62, watched footage of the post-mortem examination and took screenshots of the images.