Nantes' Emiliano Sala in action. Picture taken March 18, 2017. (Reuters)
Air accident investigators have found two seat cushions on a beach they believe are from the plane that carried Argentine soccer player Emiliano Sala, according to reports.
The Piper PA-46 Malibu plane, which departed from France and was bound for Wales, vanished over the English Channel on Jan. 21.
Sala had just signed a deal with the English Premier League's Cardiff City and was flying to Wales after bidding farewell to his former teammates at FC Nantes in the French league.
"From a preliminary examination we have concluded that it is likely that the cushions are from the missing aircraft," Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch said, according to Sky News.
After an official rescue operation for the light aircraft was called off on Thursday after three days, Sala's family raised money for a private search.
SOCCER STAR EMILIANO SALA ABOARD MISSING PLANE THAT VANISHED OFF ENGLISH CHANNEL, OFFICIALS SAY
Now the AAIB says it has commissioned a vessel to conduct a search of the seabed starting this weekend.
The AAIB has narrowed its focus to a "priority search area of approximately four square nautical miles," authorities said.
The next phase of the search will entail an underwater survey of the seabed for signs of a wreckage.
SEARCH FOR MISSING SOCCER PLAYER EMILIANO SALA BECOMES RECOVERY MISSION, OFFICIALS SAY
The aircraft had been flying at 5,000 feet when it contacted Jersey air traffic controllers requesting descent, officials said. The plane was heading for Cardiff Airport.
"We were very shocked upon hearing the news that the plane had gone missing. We expected Emiliano to arrive last night into Cardiff and today was due to be his first day with the team," Cardiff City CEO Ken Choo said in a statement last week.
Also on the plane was English pilot Dave Ibbotson. Authorities said that there was very little chance that either of them survived.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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