The 28-year-old was on his way to his new club, Cardiff City FC, on the evening of 21 January when Jersey air traffic controllers lost contact with the single-engine plane.
A search and rescue operation was called off after three days. But a private group, working alongside the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, located the wreckage earlier this month.
Mr Sala’s body was recovered last week and taken to Dorset.
During the opening of the inquest at Bournemouth town hall, acting senior coroner for Dorset, Brendan Allen, was told that Mr Sala was identified by his fingerprints.
A post-mortem examination was carried out in Bournemouth by Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Basil Purdue.
Mr Sala’s pilot, David Ibbotson, has not been found.
