A mission to recover a body found inside the wreckage of a plane carrying Emiliano Sala is underway, investigators confirmed.

The Piper Malibu N264DB carrying the Cardiff City player, 28, and his pilot David Ibbotson, 59, was discovered off the coast of Alderney in the English Channel on Sunday evening – almost two weeks after it disappeared.

The Air Accident Investigation branch (AAIB) confirmed on Monday that a body is visible in the wreck, which is about 220ft (67m) deep.

Underwater video footage shows one occupant visible in the wreckage found in the English Channel overnight (Picture: SWNS)

Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson disappeared over the English Channel on 21 January after leaving Nantes in France for Cardiff (Picture: Emiliano Sala/Instagram)

A AAIB spokesperson said on Tuesday afternoon: ‘We are attempting to recovery the body. If we are successful, we will consider the feasibility of recovering the aircraft wreckage.

Couple who met on their balconies during lockdown planning to get married

‘Strong tidal conditions mean we can only use the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for limited periods each day and this will mean that progress is slow.

‘Regardless of the results, we will not be making a further statement until the families have been informed.’

The location of the plane wreckage (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Pilot Ibbotson, 59, is also missing after the plane vanished over the English Channel on 21 January

James Hotson, a spokesman for the AAIB, said earlier today: ‘We are currently working underwater when conditions allow the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to go down.’

The movements of tides and currents sometimes interrupted the work of the ROV, he said.

Mr Hotson said there was always a possibility that the wreck would not be raised and that a decision would be made on the advice of salvage experts.

‘At the moment we are still conducting research – all I can say is that an announcement will be made when we are able to,’ he said.

Mr Hotson said that, if lifted, the wreckage would most likely be taken to an English port before being transferred to the AAIB’s laboratory in Farnborough, east Hampshire.

A crowdfunding campaign raised the funds needed for a boat equipped with the necessary sonar technology.

Arctic ice in 'meltdown' after heatwave and forest fires

Sala’s father has spoken of his anguish and disbelief after the wreckage of the plane was discovered.

Speaking at his home in Argentina, Horacio Sala said he was ‘desperate’ after the privately-funded search operation found the aircraft in waters north of Guernsey on Sunday.

‘I cannot believe it. This is a dream. A bad dream. I am desperate,’ Mr Sala told local broadcaster Cronica TV.

Cardiff City new signing Emiliano Sala went missing as he travelled from Nantes, France, to the UK (Picture: Emiliano Sala/Instagram)

Horacio Sala, father of Emiliano, spoke of his anguish and disbelief after the wreckage of the plane was discovered (Picture: AP)

On Tuesday, Mr Mearns thanked the crew for their efforts in locating the plane.

Expand

He tweeted: ‘I would like to acknowledge the team from A-2-Sea Solutions Ltd of Southampton who pulled out all the stops to get the FPV MORVEN rapidly mobilised and repositioned to Guernsey.

‘The team performed very well and the Sala family are very thankful for their efforts. #EmilianoSala.’