18 Mar 2022 Emiliano Raul Sala · Prevention of Future Deaths report Dorset
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Concerns raised 4 Risk of future deaths from illegal flights View source Failure of relevant organisations to communicate illegal-flight risks to their members View source Insufficient CAA powers for investigating and enforcing aviation regulation breaches View source Lack of effective public guidance about illegal flights and their risks View source See 1 more concern
Responses linked to these concerns
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AI-generated summary
Emiliano Raul Sala · Prevention of Future Deaths report
This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.
Report summary
Emiliano Raul Sala was a passenger on a flight from Nantes to Cardiff on 21 January 2019 when the aircraft crashed into the sea. He died from fatal head and trunk injuries; the flight was an unauthorised commercial operation. The report raised concerns about illegal flights, their safety risks, and limitations on the Civil Aviation Authority’s investigative and enforcement powers.
Read the report on judiciary.uk
× Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to The Jockey Club; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Risk of future deaths from illegal flights
Wider context from the report “2. I have concerns with regard to the following:
i. There could be future deaths as a result of these illegal flights , and I request that the Secretary of State for Transport conducts a review of the powers available to the CAA in investigating breaches of aviation regulations. I request that the Secretary of State for Transport consider meeting with the CAA to establish what powers they would find of assistance in their investigative and enforcement role.
ii. I further request that a review is undertaken by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the guidance given to the general public, especially all those involved in the sporting and music worlds, about the illegality of these flights and the risks associated with them. I would again request that consideration be given to meeting with the CAA who can properly advise on the risks associated with these flights, especially of future deaths that can occur and what support may assist them in deterring people from using these flights.
iii. I would request that all the organisations identified at numbers 3-20 in the list at the beginning of this report, consider cascading to all their members, and anyone else they consider will benefit from the information, the illegality of these flights and the risks associated with them, especially of a future death, in order to discourage the use of these flights. I would again request that consideration be given to liaising with the CAA who can properly advise on the risks and what support would be of benefit to reduce the use of these flights and prevent future deaths.
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to The Jockey Club; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Failure of relevant organisations to communicate illegal-flight risks to their members
Wider context from the report “2. I have concerns with regard to the following:
i. There could be future deaths as a result of these illegal flights, and I request that the Secretary of State for Transport conducts a review of the powers available to the CAA in investigating breaches of aviation regulations. I request that the Secretary of State for Transport consider meeting with the CAA to establish what powers they would find of assistance in their investigative and enforcement role.
ii. I further request that a review is undertaken by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the guidance given to the general public, especially all those involved in the sporting and music worlds, about the illegality of these flights and the risks associated with them. I would again request that consideration be given to meeting with the CAA who can properly advise on the risks associated with these flights, especially of future deaths that can occur and what support may assist them in deterring people from using these flights.
iii. I would request that all the organisations identified at numbers 3-20 in the list at the beginning of this report, consider cascading to all their members , and anyone else they consider will benefit from the information, the illegality of these flights and the risks associated with them, especially of a future death, in order to discourage the use of these flights. I would again request that consideration be given to liaising with the CAA who can properly advise on the risks and what support would be of benefit to reduce the use of these flights and prevent future deaths.
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to The Jockey Club; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Insufficient CAA powers for investigating and enforcing aviation regulation breaches
Wider context from the report “2. I have concerns with regard to the following:
i. There could be future deaths as a result of these illegal flights, and I request that the Secretary of State for Transport conducts a review of the powers available to the CAA in investigating breaches of aviation regulations . I request that the Secretary of State for Transport consider meeting with the CAA to establish what powers they would find of assistance in their investigative and enforcement role .
ii. I further request that a review is undertaken by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the guidance given to the general public, especially all those involved in the sporting and music worlds, about the illegality of these flights and the risks associated with them. I would again request that consideration be given to meeting with the CAA who can properly advise on the risks associated with these flights, especially of future deaths that can occur and what support may assist them in deterring people from using these flights.
iii. I would request that all the organisations identified at numbers 3-20 in the list at the beginning of this report, consider cascading to all their members, and anyone else they consider will benefit from the information, the illegality of these flights and the risks associated with them, especially of a future death, in order to discourage the use of these flights. I would again request that consideration be given to liaising with the CAA who can properly advise on the risks and what support would be of benefit to reduce the use of these flights and prevent future deaths.
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to The Jockey Club; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Lack of effective public guidance about illegal flights and their risks
Wider context from the report “2. I have concerns with regard to the following:
i. There could be future deaths as a result of these illegal flights, and I request that the Secretary of State for Transport conducts a review of the powers available to the CAA in investigating breaches of aviation regulations. I request that the Secretary of State for Transport consider meeting with the CAA to establish what powers they would find of assistance in their investigative and enforcement role.
ii. I further request that a review is undertaken by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the guidance given to the general public , especially all those involved in the sporting and music worlds, about the illegality of these flights and the risks associated with them . I would again request that consideration be given to meeting with the CAA who can properly advise on the risks associated with these flights, especially of future deaths that can occur and what support may assist them in deterring people from using these flights.
iii. I would request that all the organisations identified at numbers 3-20 in the list at the beginning of this report, consider cascading to all their members, and anyone else they consider will benefit from the information, the illegality of these flights and the risks associated with them, especially of a future death, in order to discourage the use of these flights. I would again request that consideration be given to liaising with the CAA who can properly advise on the risks and what support would be of benefit to reduce the use of these flights and prevent future deaths.
” Open source report
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Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Require aircraft movements to be booked in advance and managed through designated aviation services.
Verbatim wording from the response “All aircraft movements should be booked in advance, with the larger and busier airfields (Cheltenham, Epsom and Newmarket) using Helicopter & Aviation Services Ltd to manage all air traffic, on both racetracks and non-racedays and provide advice for the smaller racecourses who occasionally allow an aircraft to land on a raceday if requested. None of our airfields or sites are set up to allow aircraft movements at night.” Source location Response from The Jockey club
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Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Require aircraft operators to obtain landing permission and verify licensing, registration, insurance and site-use briefings before landing.
Verbatim wording from the response “All aircraft operating at Jockey Club Racecourse airfields are required to obtain prior permission to land and demonstrate that the pilot is suitably licensed, record the aircraft registration number, prove they have insurance on the aircraft and are fully briefed for use of the field. Helicopter & Aviation Services Ltd would not allow any aircraft to land which were unable to demonstrate that they had permission.” Source location Response from The Jockey club
Open published response
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Source evidence
How this respondent position was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Responsibility for customers’ flight-operator choices and the legality of their operations cannot be assumed or policed.
Verbatim wording from the response “While we cannot take responsibility for the actions of our customers and their choices of flight operator any more than we can police the legality of those driving to and from our racecourses, we do endeavour to keep our customers informed on the risks and ourselves as an airfield operator informed of their operation.” Source location Response from The Jockey club
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Source evidence
How this respondent position was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Private flight operators cannot be required to provide commercial-flight information.
Verbatim wording from the response “All aircraft operators are also requested to report whether a flight is private or commercial and if commercial confirm their AOC number. If it is confirmed as a private flight, we are unable to insist on their providing this information, we appreciate the severity of illegal or ‘grey’ charter in the sporting world and its potential dangers,” Source location Response from The Jockey club
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Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations