And it will go wrong, because they will be illegal private flights - but private flights nevertheless.

The final outcome of this investigation will make an interesting read.
I can't help but feel sorry for Mr. Ibbotson, whilst I don't in any way condone his actions of deciding to fly that evening I can sort of understand why.
As others have mentioned, the hole was dug for him long before it got into that aircraft.
However, surely the root cause of this accident is the aviation industry, as an aircraft engineer I (thankfully) never had to go down the expensive, torturous route of trying to get a job flying a commercial aircraft.
Now, I don't know if Mr. Ibbotson was happy tootling around the skies with a PPL of if he had greater ambitions.
Assuming the latter, he would have (understandably) almost taken any opportunity to build up his hours.
IMHO, it's the system thats to blame, as far as I'm aware you don't hear of accountants, lawyers, surgeons etc. paying for their training, work experience, place of work etc.
Now I'll get off my soap box !

Mr Ibbotson was 59.

Lawyers etc. have internships where they don't get paid to get experience.

complex confusion
 

Why would any EASA cost sharing regulation apply when an aircraft of US registry is operated by a pilot with an FAA license? The only requirement, of which I'm aware, is that the holder of an FAA PPL must have received training in a complex aircraft and have that endorsed in their log book - ref 61.31 (d). Is there any reason to assume that the accident pilot did not have a complex endorsement in his log book? I doubt someone just gave him the keys of the Malibu if he had never flown a complex aircraft before.

I have been working in general aviation for nearly 30 years and I don't doubt anything anymore.

HIGH PROFILE and MONEY
 

There are two factors here that will ensure finding a 'responsibility trail '.When substantial amounts of money are concerned there will be parties that require that 'someone pays' and the legal 'chasers' will then get to deal with it in their own way.
Eventually someone will be held financially responsible which may THEN lead to a further legal battle with the relevant authorities.
With few actual witnesses or corroborated information then the process will be protracted and complicated.
As alluded before this could well be the equivalent of a 'Shoreham Showdown' for non scheduled quasi commercial operations, and ramifications for many operations including genuine clubs.
The CAA have as part of their mandate a responsibility to ensure safe passage for commercial passengers both scheduled and 'charter' but it is unreasonable to expect them to police the entire aviation spectrum with current resources, and with the latitude now being shown via EASA regs prosecutions are frequently only possible with substantial intelligence led information, and or input from other parties.
I hope this does not reduce the level of 'cause investigation' with regard to the recent loss of two UK pilots in Spain, because there may well be some useful lessons to be learnt from that.

What`s that bit above about complex aircraft to which cost sharing does not apply.

Guys, a Malibu is not a "complex aircraft " in the EASA terminology meant here . Check the definition on google if you do not believe me.
And why focusing on cost sharing ?We have no proof that this was the case here, it could be just transporting someone for free. Period. This is allowed on an N registered aircraft, "family and friends" is the correct US phraseology I believe.

spot on...excellent post.

These are all things that can easily be picked up from ramp checks.
If you are doctoring your logbook, then you are committing fraud. When you sign the little bit in the corner saying "true and correct."

Stricter regulation is not required. Just stricter and more proactive enforcement.

From my experience, you can get away with a lot in Africa and Indonesia by slipping a few bills with the logbook.

I am more than happy to take your word for it, but am bit puzzled that a high performance single capable of cruise at 25000` in pressurised comfort is not listed as complex. Nevertheless I do remember the introduction of HPA for the likes of such machines. Here is an article from the archives on the subject.

https://www.iaopa.eu/mediaServlet/st...PA_revised.pdf

If this remained a current requirement had DI undergone such training.

Not true. Any good lawyer would try to sue the owner, the garage that last fixed it, and anybody that had anything to do with it.

I have not seen the reason for the delay to the original 0900 flight plan.
A morning departure, I would have thought, would obviously be what Mr Ibbotson would have preferred, so the delay, I would not think, had been his decision

Backtrack :
For a Flight from Nantes to Cardiff……… What is he doing at 5.000 ft in a plane that can go in the higher Flight levels avoiding any bad weather and ice in the first place?????

Being at 5.000, and being in ice, got him to request the lower altitude of 2.500. What happened afterwards is pure speculation.

But for a flight from Nantes to Cardiff? ? ? Why on planet Earth choose a low cruising altitude and ending up at 5.000 ft over the Channel????

Me in my Jodel 120 at 5.000 ft, that's an understandable cruise. But in that airframe? ? ? ? For that distance? ? ? In that weather? ? ?
Sorry, don't get it.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f40ed79b86.jpg

With the prevailing wind and currents around that date, I would be searching the coastlines around Sark, North East Guernsey, Herm, Possibly Jethou and then the French coast Le Manche area from approximately Le Brisay area up to Clairfontaine. Unfortunately searching in the vicinity of the Nuclear Plant at Flamanville may prove problematic. Use a helicopter. Go slow and low and have maybe two spotters looking out as well as the pilots. Many of the Channel island coves and rocks around say Sark etc, are very difficult to see from the water or the land/cliffs. Only a slow methodical search by helicopter or drone would be suitable in my opinion. I know of one instance where a car going over the cliff in Guernsey could not be seen by land or sea, but a helicopter spotted it straight away.
Apart from doing that, you'd only be extending the search for the 'needle in the haystack'