DORSET’S senior coroner has warned more people could die unless action is taken to crackdown on the use of illegal flights in the sporting and music industries.

Rachael Griffin has written to two government ministers and the heads of national sports governing bodies after presiding over the inquest into the death of footballer Emiliano Sala.

The 28-year-old Argentinian striker died as a consequence of injuries sustained in an aircraft crash, where the flight was operated as a commercial flight without the required authorisations, certification or permission being in place.

He was a passenger on the Piper Malibu aircraft flying from Nantes, France, to Cardiff on January 21, 2019, when it disappeared from radar at around 8.16pm.

Mr Sala’s body was recovered from the wreckage on the sea bed on February 6, 2019. He died instantly from fatal head and trunk injuries due to a high energy aircraft crash.

The pilot, David Ibbotson, who also died in the crash, held a private pilot’s licence, which did not permit him to fly passengers commercially, was not allowed to fly at night, and his rating for the Piper Malibu had expired.

Businessman David Henderson, 67, was jailed for 18 months last year after being convicted of endangering the safety of an aircraft by using Mr Ibbotson’s services when he knew he did not have the relevant licences.

He admitted a further offence of trying to arrange a flight for a passenger without permission or authorisation.

Following the conclusion of the inquest on March 17, Mrs Griffin has written a preventing future deaths report, which was sent to transport secretary Grant Shapps and culture secretary Nadine Dorries.

This was after evidence during the jury inquest revealed matters giving rise to concern and there is a risk of future deaths unless action is taken.

There is a market in the illegal provision of flights for reward on private aircraft or flown by pilots without an Air Operators Certificate (AOC).

Evidence was given that this market particularly exists in the world of sport and music, the report said.

Mrs Griffin said a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) investigator gave evidence that without the support from police in their investigation linked to Mr Sala’s death, it was unlikely the CAA would have been able to secure a criminal prosecution.

She requested that Mr Shapps conducts a review of the powers available to the CAA, while she asked Ms Dorries to undertake a review of the guidance given about the illegality of these flights and the risks associated to them.

The heads of governing bodies, including the Premier League, Football Association, Lawn Tennis Association, Rugby Football Union and England and Wales Cricket Board, were told to consider cascading information to members on the illegal flights and risks associated with them.

All those to receive the report have been asked to respond to the coroner by May 13.