Authorities: Seat cushions found on beach 'likely' from Emiliano Sala's plane

Two seat cushions that washed up on a beach in northwest France are "likely" from Emiliano Sala's missing plane, the United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said on Wednesday.

The AAIB said it identified a "priority search area of approximately four square nautical miles" based on evidence it has gathered since Jan. 23.

An underwater survey is scheduled to explore the area, but the AAIB said it won't begin until the end of the weekend when weather and sea conditions are expected to improve. The underwater search will last three days.

Guernsey Police ended an initial search on Jan. 24 and said the chances of survival are "extremely remote." Sala's family then launched a private search with the help of an online fundraiser, which has raised more than €350,000 from donations across the globe.

The AAIB confirmed that a "privately operated search" is being conducted in the area and that it's "liaising closely with those involved to maximize the chance of locating any wreckage and ensure a safe search operation."

A small aircraft carrying Sala - who was on his way to Cardiff to complete a €17-million transfer from Nantes - vanished from radar around 20 kilometres north of Guernsey Island in the English Channel on Jan. 21.