A British pilot has been arrested over the death of the Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala.

David Henderson, 64, from York, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act, according to reports. He is understood to have arranged for a fellow pilot to take Sala on a return trip from France.

Sala died in a plane crash in January. He disappeared with David Ibbotson, the pilot of the Piper Malibu aircraft, after it crashed in waters north of Guernsey on 21 January.

Sala’s body was brought to Portland Port in Dorset on 7 February after a private search. Ibbotson, 59, of Crowle, Lincolnshire, is still missing.

Henderson is a private pilot who worked regularly for Willie McKay, an agent linked to Sala’s transfer to Cardiff from FC Nantes.

DI Simon Huxter, of Dorset police’s major crime investigation team, said: “We have carried out a wide-ranging investigation into the circumstances of the death of Mr Sala and continue to work with partner agencies including the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

“As part of this investigation, we have to consider whether there is any evidence of any suspected criminality and, as a result of our inquiries, we have arrested a 64-year-old man from the North Yorkshire area on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act. He is assisting with our inquiries and has been released from custody under investigation.

“This matter therefore is still subject to a live investigation and I would ask the media and members of the public to refrain from speculation, as this could cause additional distress to the families involved, as well as potentially hinder the investigation.

“As is standard practice, we will not be releasing any further information as to the identity of the individual who has been arrested unless that person is charged to appear in court, and again would discourage any speculation in relation to this.”

An interim report from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the plane carrying Sala fell thousands of feet in the space of 20 seconds after making a 180-degree turn, four minutes after the pilot requested a descent, apparently to avoid cloud and maintain vision. Investigators have not concluded what caused the plane to crash.

The investigation is considering the regulations applicable to the operation of the flight including airworthiness requirements, flight crew licensing and the carriage of passengers.

These regulations allowed the aircraft to be flown by private pilots holding an appropriate licence, but it was not allowed to be used for commercial operations without the owner or operator first obtaining permission from the CAA and the Federal Aviation Administration in the US, where the plane was registered.

The owner of the plane has not been named. The AAIB said ownership had been transferred into an American trust allowing it to be registered in the US. This trust had a contract with a UK company that originally bought the plane. The company was responsible for the operation of the aircraft, ensuring it was maintained in accordance with applicable regulations and met all airworthiness requirements. A third party managed the aircraft.

When it published its interim report in February, the basis on which Sala was being carried had not yet been established. It was known that previously the pilot had carried passengers on the basis of “cost sharing”. Cost sharing allows a private pilot to carry passengers and for those passengers to contribute towards the actual cost of the flight.

Wednesday’s arrest was not the first in connection with the tragedy. This month it emerged that two people from Wiltshire would face charges over a photograph showing Sala in a mortuary.

Sherry Bray, 48, and Christopher Ashford, 62, have been summonsed to court after an image was circulated extensively on social media which showed the Argentinian striker’s remains at the Holly Tree Lodge mortuary in Bournemouth.

Wiltshire police said Bray, of Corsham, has been summonsed for three counts of computer misuse, perverting the course of justice and sending an indecent or offensive message.

Ashford, of Calne, has been summonsed in relation to six counts of computer misuse. The pair, who were arrested in February, will appear at Swindon magistrates court on 10 July.

Sala died of head and trunk injuries, a preliminary inquest hearing has been told.

In April the footballer’s father, Horacio Sala, 58, died of a suspected heart attack.