A PLANE that ditched 25 miles north-west of Guernsey was serviced and given the all-clear 10 days earlier.

Chris Falloon, a director of Alderney Flying Training Club Ltd, said the plane flown by Ian Dickinson was fully serviceable. He has passed the aircraft documentation and log books to the Air Accident Investigations Branch.

A search for Mr Dickinson, 79, was called off on Saturday night after his plane crashed – his 78-year-old wife, Anne-Marie, was found unhurt on a life raft by Russian merchant ship Jork Rider.

Mr Falloon explained that the Piper PA28-181 Archer plane Mr Dickinson was flying was serviced every 50 hours of flying time or every six months, whichever came sooner.