News

Moscow Interregional Transport Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation into a crime under part 3 of article 263 of the RF Penal Code (breach of safety standards for traffic and operation of an aircraft entailing death of two or more people by negligence) after a plane crash at Vnukovo airport.

According to preliminary data, on 20 October 2014, at around 11:57 PM, at Vnukovo-3 a four-seat Falcon due from Moscow to Paris hit a snow-clearing machine, caught fire and fell on the runway. 3 crew members and the sole passenger – CEO of French company Total Chritophe de Margerie were killed in the crash.

At present an investigative team together with representatives of the Interstate Aviation Committee are examining the crash scene, confiscating jet documents and taking samples of fuel, questioning Vnukovo staff. Investigative operations necessary to find out all the circumstances of the crash are organized.

The investigators have several main theories of what happened, among them are error of flight dispatchers and fault of the snowplow driver. They will also check the versions of bad weather conditions and pilot’s error.

At present it has already been revealed that the snowplow driver was drunk. In addition, there might be a decision coming to suspend a number of airport staff for the period of investigation.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                     V.I. Markin