×
Enjoying ad-free content?
Since July 1, 2024, we have disabled all ads to improve your reading experience.
This commitment costs us $10,000 a month. Your support can help us fill the gap.
Support us
Our journalism is banned in Russia. We need your help to keep providing you with the truth.

Cause of Airplane Crash That Killed Total CEO Found

An investigator works at the wreckage of a private jet which collided with a snowplow at Vnukovo airport in Moscow, Oct. 21, 2014. AP

Investigators from the Interstate Aviation Committee have determined the cause of a crash that killed the Total oil company's Chairman and CEO Cristophe de Margerie at Vnukovo International Airport in 2014. 

"The accident occurred at night-time in foggy conditions due to a collision with a snowplow that had strayed onto the runway and stopped there," a statement on the IAC's official web site states. 

This was followed by a series of details on the most likely reasons for the crash.

Among them was the critique that the airport personnel manuals had no guidance on how to react over losing control of airport vehicles. 

Another reason in the list was a "lack of proper supervision from the airport service shift supervisor, who had alcohol in his system, over the airfield operations."

The crash of the Dassault Falcon 50 jet occurred on Oct. 20, 2014 as the plane was taking off on a flight back to Paris. All four passengers and crew were killed in the collision. 

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more