Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Associated Press
MOSCOW
Christophe de Margerie, the charismatic CEO of Total SA who helped establish the multinational oil company as one of the world’s biggest, was killed at a Moscow airport when his private jet collided with a snowplow whose driver reportedly was drunk.
As well as questioning the driver, Russian investigators said Tuesday they also were assessing whether any mistakes were made by air-traffic controllers in the crash that also killed three French crew members.
The crash occurred at 11.57 p.m. Monday local time when the French-made Dassault Falcon 50 burst into flames after hitting the snowplow during takeoff from Vnukovo airport, which is used by Russian government officials, including President Vladimir Putin, and visiting foreign leaders.
“We lost a true friend of our country,” Putin said.
Video from the scene showed the charred plane lying on a grassy field. Though it had snowed earlier in the day, it was unclear how much snow remained at the airport at the time of the crash.
The driver of the snowplow, Vladimir Martynenko, is at the center of the investigation after allegations, denied by his lawyer, that he was drunk.
De Margerie, 63, was a regular fixture at international economic gatherings and one of the French business community’s most outspoken and recognizable figures.